Acceptance
by Darkly-Shaded-Shadow
Summary: Set in the Future Time Line, Cell emerges to a bleak and broken world, ravished by the androids. However, they have since been destroyed, and he struggles to accept this fact. Lost, without purpose, he hunts and feeds relentlessly, only he finds himself drawn to a dying woman who has no fear of him. This story is for mature people. It has some dark and adult themes.
1. I

The sky was dark and full of heavy, black clouds. The wind was starting to develop an icy bite to it, and it seemed to scream through the shattered windows and empty streets. Old newspapers twirled around the debris from a downed building, snagging on an exposed wire strut and billowing like a torn flag.

Cell sat perched on the edge of the roof of an old bank. It was falling apart now. A huge hole in the side had let the elements in, and the wood had rotted and the concrete had crumbled. Only the shell remained, giving the terrifying creation the perfect vantage point to inspect the damaged and broken city.

There was little left for him in this world. Most people were dead. Some survived in tiny pockets, but thanks to the androids, there were no more people in cities or towns. Large communities were non-existent. Worse than that, was nobody had seen or heard from the android siblings in months. The trail was cold. Cell was following their path of destruction, from destroyed city to destroyed city, but each scene of destruction was old, the dust long since had settled.

Cell was worried. What if his androids were gone? What if he was too late and his destiny had been snatched away? He snarled, his long tail thrashing behind him in agitation.

"No." He hissed to himself. "I will not give up hope yet. I will be complete!" He assured himself quietly. He forced his mind to calm the turmoil and concentrate. His senses reached out beyond his own body as his eyes closed. He could feel the life energy of the all the living things for miles around. Each showed up to him a dim golden light, a pin prick in a sea of darkness. Rats and stray cats and dogs roamed the city streets below while carrion scavenging crows cawed from their perches in the trees and buildings above.

A nest of large pterodactyl like dinosaurs inside the blasted open side of a sky scraper showed as a slightly brighter energy, but it was still too little for Cell to bother with. He reached out further, spreading his keen senses wider, scanning until…

"There…" He almost purred to himself as he found the tiny underground group of humans, their energy brighter than the others, and inviting. "Dinner…" He grinned, leaping silently from his perch, and landing smoothly on top of a trashed car, crushing its roof in, before he bounded off down the street with barely a sound as his tail flicked out behind him.

Cell silently stalked his prey. Two men, each armed with automatic machine guns and hunting knives roughly sheathed on their belts. Each wore a mitch-match of clothes, and each looked dirty and hungry. They stood under the balcony of a crumbling church, a barrel stuffed with old books and garbage was aflame, casting eerie shadows over the scene. It had begun to rain, but the men were making light of it, as they stood dry in their make-do shelter, laughing loudly.

The sound of a loud and noisy bike gave them both pause to concern, each swinging their guns forward and handling them menacingly as an old and monstrous bike rolled around the corner, thundering up the street, easily swerving between or over debris. It stopped outside the church, the engine giving one last roar before it powered down. A figure in a huge trench coat with a hood up to shield against the rain dismounted. It fiddled with the bike for a second, before it collapsed into its capsule, which the figure quickly pocketed. It hurried to the two men, where they made a show of loudly protesting against the figure. Out of the rain and wind, the figure removed the hood, revealing a wind-strewn pile of hair that was quickly brushed out of the face of a middle aged woman. She was striking with her sharp features and mass of auburn red hair.

The men and the woman argued quietly, but sternly to each other. Cell watched on from his hidden spot across the street inside what used to be a café. He did not need lights to see in the dark, and the fire was way too far away for it to reveal him. He moved silently and quickly, like a well-practiced hunter, and he effortlessly crossed the street in the howling wind and rain, immune to the biting chill. None of the humans noticed him.

The trio apparently reached an agreement as one of the men slung his weapon over his shoulder and led the woman inside the church. The now lone man slung his weapon as well and warmed his hands over the fire, while causally glancing around the street. The rain and wind drowned out all but the loudest sounds, and the man barely managed a gargled gasp as Cell's needle like tail pierced his throat. He never saw his attacker.

Cell preferred the throat. The humans made little noise, and their faces twisted into the most horrifying poses as they twitched and writhed. Cell drained the man in the space of a breath, leaving his clothes and the automatic machine gun to clatter to the floor. Cell turned his attention back to the Church, his keen eyes staring straight into the darkness.

The other guard returned shortly after, and instantly noticed the clothes and gun in the pile next to the flaming barrel.

"Mitch?!" The man yelled, frantically looking around. He whirled around at a sneering laugh, only to have his throat pierced. Cell's face was right in his, watching as the man silently screamed, his eyes rolling back as he was sucked dry. Cell licked his leathery lips appreciating his feast.

"Delicious." He turned back to the church and slipped inside the darkness. It was damp inside and cool, but the walls kept the wind out and aside from a few small holes which currently dripped, the roof kept the rain out. Cell paused for a moment, allowing his keen eyes to adjust to the darkness.

The pews were little more than splintered and rotten wood, collapsing under their own weight. The altar and pillars were made of marble and stood proud amongst the ruin. Cell took a few silent steps in, and stopped suddenly, his senses flaring madly. Something surged through him he had never felt before and his body was reacting wildly before his mind could piece together why.

He lifted himself from his stooped stalk and stood to his full height, his strange beaked face lifting to the ceiling, his mouth slightly agape as he 'sensed' the air. Cell had no hairs on his body, but he had small insect like sensors covering his un-armoured neck and face, and these were going wild. He had no mammalian nose, but he could taste the air as a snake could, and it smelt… wonderful.

' _The woman!_ ' Cell realized. He could smell the woman. But why was she capturing his attention? Something was not right. He lowered himself back down and stalked quickly and quietly through the church, heading down into the basement. As soon as he reached the lower levels, the area began to warm up. There were candles down here, and it was dry. He made his way through the corridors, his senses keen as could be. He passed by sleeping people in rooms that were closed off with hanging curtains. People he would delight in feasting on shortly enough. He could hear people talking up ahead, at the end of the corridor. He approached, keeping to the shadows and out of the candle light that poured out of the large open room at the end.

He could see an older man, heavy set with a bulging belly sitting on a mountain of cushions, and flaunting his obvious wealth. He was far better dressed than most humans of today, and there was food on a low table besides him. Food was scarce. Sitting on the cold stone floor in front of him was the woman. A young man, healthy and well fed sat to the mans' right.

The woman had her back mostly to Cell, but he stared at her intently, studying her. She had her trench coat off, neatly folded besides her, revealing her slender frame and long mass of messy red hair that she had attempted to tie back in a fraying pony tail. The wealthy man was laughing heartily at whatever the woman had just said.

"So! Let me get this straight. You figured you'd just show up and expect me to give you food and medicine, when you have nothing worthy to trade? This is rich!"

"I never said I had nothing to trade, Tank. There's a weapons cache in this city I can show you. It was Mechs, and I checked it earlier today. It hasn't been cleaned out yet."

"Mech? That arrogant upstart. What happened to him exactly?"

"He double crossed the Tanyard brothers' during a trade and the resulting shit storm resulted in about a dozen deaths from both sides. Those who didn't die fled. Now the Tanyards' gang and what's left of Mech's Men are scattered. But it won't take long for them to raid the caches."

"Ah, power shifts." The fat man, that was known as Tank mused, absently scratching at his grey stubble. He stared at the woman for a while, making a show of thinking.

"Alright, Rowan, you can have 50 cans, 20 litres and 2 med packs, in exchange for a viable cache, which we can confirm in the morning." Tank said with a huge grin.

"I need 5 med packs, at least." Rowan was adamant. Tank chuckled and leaned towards Rowan.

"I've heard rumours about you, Rowan. Are they true? Because if they are…"

"It doesn't work so well when I'm sick, Tank." Rowan said flatly. Cell could see her shoulders rise slightly in a defensive shift. Subtle, but Cell missed nothing.

"Sick? That's a shame. Not contagious is it?"

"Dust Poisoning." Rowan said simply. Tanks face fell into a scowl.

"I lost my brother to that. Nasty way to go." Rowan shrugged but said nothing. Tank stared at her again for a while. "So it doesn't work at all now?" He said slyly.

"It works still, but the effect is greatly reduced."

"Is that why you're here, begging for food, instead of enjoying the life of luxury with Mech?"

"I left Mech for other reasons. He didn't bother chasing after me because it doesn't work anymore." Rowan said in a bored tone. She looked around the room casually, her eyes looking down the corridor. She froze for a second, her eyes locking with Cells but she looked back at Tank.

Had she seen him? Cell wondered. He was in the shadows, and he knew with the light from the room blinding her eyes from the darkness, he would be invisible to her. But she had looked right at him. He took a step back into the darkness, just in case, watching as they talked some more.

"Alright Rowan. You can have the 5 med packs, but… Only if you give me the benefit of your gift. Even if it isn't as strong as it used to be, I'd still like to try it out for myself." Rowan sighed, as if she had been expecting this and reluctantly agreed.

Eventually, Tank's henchman left and returned with a huge loading trolley piled with 4 boxes of canned food and several huge jugs of water and 5 small green boxes. Rowan packed away 5 med packs, 20 litres of clean water and 50 cans of food into a storage capsule that she shrunk back after it had been packed, and slipped it back inside her pocket.

Cell watched, as the henchman left through a side door, and Tank led Rowan by the wrist into a curtained off alcove where he obviously slept. Rowan treated it like business, as she stripped and slipped into the bed with Tank. Cell was disgusted and turned away from the grunting and moaning of Tanks boorish mating.

Cell slipped down the corridors, methodically killing off the sleeping humans he had passed earlier, stabbing each in the throat and draining them before they could wake any of the others. By the time he had finished his feast, he returned to the corridor outside the main room. Rowan was dressed again, sitting at the table, enjoying the food while Tank snored loudly. What surprised Cell the most, was that Tanks' energy burned brighter than it had before. Cell studied Rowans exposed back. She was wearing a ripped and stained black tank top and comfortable dark grey cargo pants. Her trench coat was besides her.

"I know you're watching me." She said between mouthfuls of food. Cell felt his lips curl back in defiance, baring his pointed fangs. Rowan glanced over her shoulder, straight at Cell.

"I can smell you." She said simply. Cell slowly emerged from the shadows into the light of the candles. He was huge, forced to stoop forward to avoid hitting the ceiling. He was a monster, he knew, and he carried himself like a predator. Huge shelled wings like a beetles on his back and a long whip like tail with the needle tip hung over him like a scorpion. His face sported a huge leathery orange beak and a V-shaped head crest. His eyes were large with slit pupils, like a cats. Even his fingernails were long, curved and black, making him look like he had claws.

Despite his monstrous appearance, Rowan gave him the once over without showing even the tiniest hint of fear. She turned back to her food and resumed eating.

"Don't know what you are, but you're kind of interesting. Why don't you come join me? Grab some eating while the eating is good." Rowan said casually. Her smell was potent in this room. It caused Cell's senses to fire off, trying to tell him something. He moved a little closer to her, knowing how easy it would be to just stab her and drain her with her back and neck exposed to him. But he hesitated. There was something important about her, and he stood silent, trying to understand it.

"Trying to figure it out?" She asked suddenly, glancing back at him, as if reading his mind. He stared at her.

"Figure what out, exactly?" He hissed in his rasped voice. She smiled.

"You can talk." She said happily. "My smell. It's probably a lot stronger since I just had sex." She was so casual and conversational about it, which threw Cell a little.

"Why do you smell like this?" He asked quietly.

"Not sure exactly, but I'm guessing it's because my Ma wasn't human." She replied, completely casually. Cell's eyes narrowed as he withdrew into his mental palace, frantically running through the mountains of information he had stored in there. Suddenly, it was there, right in front of him. Something Gero had added to the computer, data about an alien species. He had only a small sample from a woman a long time ago. A woman whom Gero had discovered by pure chance when he was measuring people's bio-signature while looking for candidates for his android program.

A woman he had captured, but had escaped within hours, leaving him with only a blood sample. A blood sample that turned out to be truly unbelievable. An alien species that created an incredibly complex chemical that bonded with the DNA of other beings and enhanced it to super levels. A woman, whom had obviously reproduced.

"Not human…" Cell repeated the words to himself and he stared at the woman. Now he could sort of see it. Her skin was not so much pale, as it was just lighter in tone. Her eyes were a strange bright green, a very rare shade for humans. The differences were very minor however. This biggest give away was her scent. Powerful, and intoxicatingly potent.

"Anyhoo, if you aren't going to eat anything, do you mind if I finish this off?" Rowan asked, gesturing to the remaining food. Cell gestured grandly for her to continue, which she did, quickly devouring everything that was left. Cell could only watch as his mind raced. Gero had programmed the computer with the incredible DNA, and the computer had given all the data to Cell as he had been forming inside the tank. Cell knew what the computer knew… But there was something else. Perhaps the computer had programmed into Cell's fundamental DNA, an urge, or desire to prevent him from killing what could otherwise be an asset?

Cell didn't know for sure. But he knew he had no desire to kill or consume this woman. And the longer he stood so close to her, breathing in that heady scent, the more his body developed the urge to do something else… Something Cell had never considered before, and had never had a driving desire to even try. But now it came sauntering into his conscious mind flaunting itself, and Cell didn't know how to respond.

"Ah…" Rowan sat back and gently rapped her fingers on her full belly. "I feel so much better after having a good meal. First one in a while." She leaned back until she could see Cell's face and smiled broadly. "Feel kind of sleepy though. So, just going to ask, you friend or foe?" Cell stared at her for a long time, considering everything, and running through the data in his mind.

"Friend." He replied after coming to a drawn out conclusion. "To you at least." He added, glancing at the snoring Tank through the curtains. Rowan followed Cell's gaze and shrugged.

"Oh well. I'm going to get some sleep. It's dry and warm. I feel full. I feel good." Cell watched as she fluffed up the pile of pillows and stretched out on them, using her trench coat as a blanket. "G'night." She said in a sing-song voice and rolled onto her side. Cell watched her breathing as it slowed and eased. After a few minutes, he was certain she was asleep, and he went to work. He made short work of Tank, lavishing the satisfying meal his renewed energy gave him. He went through the back door and methodically cleared out every other human he could sense.

He slipped out of the church and disappeared into the dark and stormy streets, vanishing into the night, hunting.

Days passed by. Rowan was in the country, having left the cities behind her. She had awoken in the church, days ago, discovered that everyone was gone, leaving behind their clothes in their beds. She was not a fool, and had methodically gathered as many supplies from the church as she could stuff into the capsuled containers she carried and had quickly made an escape from the city. She was now heading North East. She had seen nobody in days. Every house was empty. She enjoyed fresh fruit when she drove through Orchard territory. It had been a welcome relief from the canned and preserved foods that constituted the majority of her meals.

She slept in abandoned houses, and took only supplies. She wouldn't take the valuables or personal items from someone's house, even if that someone was long gone. She siphoned fuel from any vehicles she found, and considered herself very lucky when she tested a fuel pump at an old service station in a small town and found it to not yet have been raided. She stocked up her fuel drums, capsuling those.

For the first time since the androids had first attacked, Rowan felt like she was prepared, and of course, it was only after she had begun to die. The coughing fits that shook her were getting more severe and more frequent. She used the med packs sparingly, the spray down her throat eased the coughing and hid the symptoms but she knew she would run out soon, and not long after that, she would die.

She was caught up in her own thoughts, when she noticed a small truck travelling along the same road. Another traveller. She slowed down, cautious. In today's world, people were either friends or foes. Foes were people whose survival instincts didn't extend past themselves, and they killed and robbed anybody they met for the supplies that they carried. Friends were sources of information and people willing to trade goods.

The trucks slowed down and eventually they both stopped a good 50 feet in front of one another. Rowan dismounted her bike and pulled back the hood of her coat and lifted her arm in a formal wave. A young man jumped out the truck and returned the gesture. Relief gripped Rowan as the two walked towards each other, meeting in the middle, the informal gesture of neutral ground.

"How goes it friend?" She asked. The man was thin and looked starved, but he had kind eyes and wore baggy overalls.

"It's not good. The way I've just come, the lands have been ravished by a monster. It attacks during the nights and sucks people away until nothing but their clothes remain."

"Oh, that's not good. The way I've just come is empty and devoid of life. You the first person I've seen in days." The man looked grim and nodded.

"Have you any food or fuel you can spare?" He asked in desperation. It was very rare for charity these days.

"There's a fuel station about 12 clicks back up this road. It still has fuel in it's tanks. I filled up not 20 minutes past. I can give you enough to get your truck there, if you don't have enough. As for food, there are plantations and orchids about half a day past the fuel station. Apples and citruses. I have some cans I can spare for trade if you'd like." The man's face broke into relief and delight and he was eager to trade.

It was a good hour later before they had finished their trade and the man's truck had been topped up and was driving down the road that Rowan had just come from. She was happy. She had traded some of her preserved foods and blankets for a working MP3 player and some tools that could come in handy.

The news of the Monster was concerning, but she mounted her bike and continued on anyway. She was aware that the simple and short exchange with the man was more memorable than anything before, simply because she craved the company.

The sky was growing dark as the sun set in the mountain ranges when Rowan reached a sprawling town. It was empty and quiet. She capsuled her bike and headed down the street, finding a small cosy hotel. She helped herself to a room, tested a tap and was relived to find the water still running. Even better, was the hot water worked as well, the solar panels on the roof still intact.

She treated herself to a hot bath, soaking delightfully when she heard the door open and close. She frowned and slipped out her bath, wrapping herself in a towel and arming herself by snapping the towel rack from the wall and lifting it like a baseball bat. She hesitated only a moment before she opened the bathroom door and stepped into the room.

Cell looked her in the eyes, unblinking. He was huge, and dominating, making the room look tinier than it was.

"Oh, it's just you." Rowan said, lowering her makeshift weapons. "I was afraid you might have been a thief." Cell tilted his head to the side in surprise.

"You fear other people more than me?" She shrugged.

"If you were going to kill me, you would have. You've made your decision already. Other people are dangerous. They are unpredictable and stupid. Plus I need my supplies." She stopped suddenly, as a coughing fit took her and she doubled over. Cell watched, as she pulled off her towel and wiped her mouth, revealing blood.

"Damnit." She cursed. She slipped around Cell to the bed where her capsules and a shoulder bag where laid out, along with some clothes. She threw the bloodied towel on the floor, and now, completely naked and at home with this fact, she rummaged through her bag. Cell watched her every move like a hawk, soaking in every detail, the little nuances of the way she moved, the tiniest of limps in her left leg where it had obviously been broken years before, even the way she flicked her long hair behind her shoulders. She was thinner than she had been in the previous city. Her ribs were visible, and as she bent over the bed, her hips and some of her vertebrae stood out.

He didn't even think about it, he just reached out gently touching a faded, jagged scar that ran across her left shoulder blade. She started at his sudden touch, glancing back at him, before she returned to her bag, pulling out a small green metal box. She flicked it open, pulling out a small glass vial and an inhaler. She carefully poured some of the liquid into the inhaler and shook it, before sucking in the spray.

"Ahh…" She said, her tense body relaxing.

"What is this dust poisoning?" Cell asked, finally letting his hand fall. Rowan sat on the bed, looking up at Cell with a strange unreadable expression.

"When the androids first attacked, the global armies fought back. But the androids kept wiping them out. Eventually, in an act of desperation, the armies tried a Nano attack, designed to attack the machinery of the androids. It didn't work, and what's worse, is that it created a sort of dust like haze that clogged the cities they had bombed for weeks. Breathing in too much of the Nano dust shredded your lungs and poisoned your blood. Eventually it eats away everything and you die." Rowan was matter-of-fact and could have just as easily have been talking at a lecture then referring to what was happening to her own body.

Cell lowered himself down so he was sort of sitting on the floor, leaning forward while his wings and tail spread out behind him. His face was level with Rowans and she sadly smiled at him.

"I can't really give you what you want. I'm sick. And it doesn't work so well when I'm sick." Cell's eyes narrowed and he frowned.

"I am aware." He said bitterly.

"I don't mind if you still want to try, just for the fun of it." This made Cell's eyes widen in surprise.

"You actually want to have sex with me? Why?" Rowan sighed deeply which caused her to cough again. After she finally stopped and regained her composure she smiled at Cell.

"I'm dying. And I'm alone. It's depressing and I could use the company and the comfort. Plus it's only sex. It's not that important. Not to me anyway." Cell frowned and looked down at his hands.

He had never considered having sex before. It was a daunting thing to think about. And he wondered if there was even a point to it, since he could gain little from it. His mind turned to his androids. He was certain now that they were gone. Destroyed. He still had yet to learn how, but that realization had been a huge and depressing slap in the face for him. Something he had been mulling over for days.

"You look so sad." Rowan said, her voice full of concern. Cell lifted his face back up to lock eyes with hers. That moment seemed to last an eternity, the two just staring at each other. Cell was lost. He had lost his sense of purpose and it had made him vulnerable. Rowan lifted her hand to his face, feeling the warmth of his skin, and the leathery texture of his head crest and his soft, leathery beak. She leaned forward slowly, and kissed him on the top of his beak. Cell swallowed the uncomfortable lump that had formed in his throat as she lowered her lips down to his.

The kiss was awkward and unusual, but not unenjoyable. Rowan pulled back from Cell and let her hand drop from his face. She smiled at Cell, at his confused and conflicted expression.

"You can leave if you'd rather. I'm not interested in forcing you to do something you don't want to." She was casual about it again, and shrugged her shoulders as if to emphasize the fact. Cell stared at her naked body. She was skinny and underfed, but she was clean from her bath, and the soft flesh of her breasts and her warm lips were inviting. After a moment of considering it, he threw caution to the wind, and lunged at her suddenly, finding her mouth with his own and kissing her hungrily. He pushed her back onto the bed, as his hand clumsily felt just how soft and warm her skin was.

She pulled his face in for a deeper kiss, tasting his tongue with her own, and sucking on his bottom lip. Cell felt a part of him stir that had never stirred before, and felt himself swell. He slipped out of his orange ribbed sheath, pressing against her thigh. She let him lick at her exposed neck, tasting her flesh hungrily, as his hand felt the lines and curves of her body, enjoying the sudden soft bush of hair between her legs, and the incredible warmth that it hid. His member ached as her taste and smell completely overwhelmed him.

He was inexperienced, and it showed. But she guided him, kissing him gently until he slid inside her, causing her to break their kiss and gasp. He was not a small being, and his size took her by surprise. He was overwhelmed by the tightness around him, and the immense pleasure of that warmth. Natural instinct kicked in, as he eased himself out a little before thrusting back in. He watched as her head rolled back, framed by the halo of her beautiful red hair, and watching her expression of enjoyment as he thrust himself inside her again.

He had never felt anything so intense before, and he learned a great deal about his own body in a very short time. He was careful not to use his power, as he was afraid he could hurt her, but he couldn't help but thrust himself inside her a little harder each time, always careful to watch her face. She pulled his face back to hers, kissing him hard on the mouth, before deepening it with relish. He felt the pressure inside him building up already and he knew he couldn't keep this up for long. It felt far too good and he didn't have any control over it yet. Her smell was overpoweringly potent and he could taste it on her skin and on her lips as they kissed. It took him over and with only a few more thrusts he exploded, breaking their passionate kiss as he succumbed to the crashing wave of pleasure that all but paralysed him with its intensity.

He could do little but wait until the intensity subsided and he regained control of his body and his senses. He looked down at Rowan who was grinning slyly up at him, her hand tracing the outline of his face. He was breathing heavily and he was surprised at how draining the actual act was. She pulled him back down for another kiss, this one softer and more tender than the previous.

She finally let him go and after a moments' hesitation and with a soft groan, he pulled himself out of her and rolled onto his side. She rolled onto her side, facing him with a smile on her face. He could only stare at her, still struggling to regain control over his own body. He closed his eyes for a moment as he calmed himself, and inspected his own body. He was amazed at how energized he felt, despite also feeling drained. He evaluated his energy, and could almost see the chemical bonds that were happening as his power continued to increase alarmingly fast. It was not a huge increase, but for someone like Cell, the increase was never the less, remarkable.

He opened his eyes slowly as she ran her fingers over the side of his jaw.

"That was your first time, wasn't it?" She asked softly. His jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed before he gave her a single small nod. She smiled broader, showing her neat white teeth. "Thank you." She added, leaning over and giving him another small kiss on his beak. He managed a small smile, revealing his fanged teeth.

"Will you stay?" She asked after a while. He frowned at her question.

"For how long?" She shrugged in response but slid across the bed, wrapping her arm around his waist and burying her face against his chest. He snaked his arm around her shoulder protectively without thinking about it. The fact that it had felt natural to him concerned him, but he figured he'd think on it later.

The night grew cold, and Cell woke with a start. He was surprised he had fallen asleep at all. He glanced down at Rowan who was asleep, snuggled against him. But she was shivering, still naked. He reached out behind her, tugging at the blanket that they were laying on, and pulled it over her, wrapping his arm around her for the extra warmth. He gently channelled his energy, making his own body warm up. She stopped shivering and shifted, making herself comfortable while mumbling before she settled down and was still again, aside from her steady breathing.

Cell eased himself slowly off the bed, replacing himself with a pillow as he moved. Rowan didn't wake. He headed out of the room and down into the streets bellow. He quickly found himself perched on top of a street light, his tail hanging down as his mind ran rampant. He considered leaving, resuming his desperate search for the androids, eating everyone he stumbled across as he had been doing for the past 2 years… He glanced back up at the dark window where he knew Rowan slept.

Or he could stay with her. He went back over the incredible experience he had shared with her, and felt himself become partially aroused again. He smirked to himself and he forced his body back under his control.

"No wonder humans breed like rabbits." He muttered. He regained his composure and thought about his options. He was conflicted.

The sky began to lighten, and Cell realized he had been sitting on the street light, thinking, for a while. He sighed to himself and wondered if his current predicament was more because of the programming of the computer, or the misery he felt because of the missing androids?

"Both." He finally decided and accepting that, slipped off his perch and made his way back up to the room. After being out in the fresh cold air of the street, the smell of the room hit Cell hard like a punch to the belly. Her smell was potent and still lingered in the enclosed air. Cell felt his insides twist and his hidden member stir beneath his protective sheath. He fought bitterly against his own body. He had to maintain some decency and form of control if he was going to be around her.

It proved a difficult battle, as the longer he stayed in the room, the headier the scent became, until finally he snapped and fled back outside. Quickly he managed to reign himself back under control and realized how difficult this was going to be.

Rowan woke to an empty bed but smiled wistfully to herself. She honestly hadn't expected him to hang around. She didn't linger on her moment of disappointment though, and slipped out of bed, and dressed herself in a turtle neck shirt and jeans. The sun outside was warm looking, but it was autumn and it would be chilly out. She repacked her supplies, medicated herself and threw on her trench coat, heading outside.

She stopped as she saw Cell, standing to his full impressive height; tail curled behind him and a strange look on his face.

"Uh... Good morning."

"Good morning. Sleep well?" He rasped. She smiled, realizing that he looked decisive and strong.

"I did, very much so." Cell lifted his arm, showing a juicy red apple.

"I took the liberty of breakfast." He said smugly, and tossed the apple gently at her. She caught it and with a smile, bit into it.

"Mmmm. Thank you. By the way…" She began between bites. "I've slept with you, but I don't know your name." Cell grinned at this.

"My name, is Cell." She nodded.

"Odd name. Cell." His grin turned into a smile and his tail flicked behind him. "Seru." She added after a while. Cell tilted his head in curiosity.

"Seru?"

"Yeah. I like it. I'll call you Seru."

"My name is Cell." He repeated a little flatly. She grinned at him and shrugged, and he didn't bother to argue the point.

The day flew by. Rowan was on her bike, enjoying the scenery. She knew Cell was following her, though at first she hadn't believed him when he had refused to ride on her bike with her, preferring the exercise. But sure enough, he had kept pace with her, running alongside her bike with incredible ease. He disappeared into the forest though, as another vehicle had approached. It was another ' _friend'_ and she spent several hours negotiating trade and exchanging information with the small family in their van. She was warned of bandits in a town up the road, and she thanked them before they finally went their own ways.

Rowan saw the town the family had mentioned and stopped on the ridge of the hill, deciding to camp out, rather than risk a night time ambush. She slipped off the road and into the bushland and set up a crude tent, designed more to keep the bugs out, rather than the warmth in.

Cell joined her as she was warming up a can of food over a small camper stove. She avoided making a fire, and kept lighting to an absolute minimum. She wasn't stupid enough to advertise her location, especially when bandits around.

Cell sat himself down on top of a boulder, watching her with a hungry expression. She was aware of his intent, and felt her face flush, but tried to ignore him while she ate her dinner. After, she cleaned up her mess and packed it all away. She did a quick walk around outside the camps' clearing.

"There is no one close by." Cell said. She glanced back at him, but continued to do her walk.

"How could you possibly know that?"

"I can sense the energy of living creatures. There are no humans close by. There is a small herd of deer about 600 feet that way though." He said, pointing casually to the left. Rowan stared at him for a moment, before she finally gave up and made her way over to him. Even though he was sitting down, he still loomed over her. She smiled at him as he lowered his face to hers.

"I'm going to go lay down." She said after a while, and turned her back on Cell, unzipping the insect netting on her tent. "You know, this netting is designed to keep insects out. But there's one insect I don't mind being bitten by." She said slyly, glancing over her shoulder. The look she gave Cell was all the invitation he needed, and he slid from the rock, and pulled her into his arms in one fluid moment.

She had her back against his chest, and moaned softly as he nibbled on the flesh of her neck. One hand slid under her shirt, feeling the heavy weight of her breast, massaging it through her bra. She groaned as he nuzzled her cheek and licked her neck, sucking on the tender flesh gently. Her smell and her moans made him aroused and he slipped from his sheath, pressing against her lower back. She shifted in his arms, sliding one hand behind her back, tenderly grasping him and giving him a gentle squeeze. She felt his sudden sharp exhale and grinned as she massaged his sensitive flesh.

He swallowed, suddenly frozen by the actions of her hand. Slowly she moved, turning around to face him. She leaned up to kiss him, and he relished her taste. She broke the kiss slowly, and he could only watch as she lowered herself down to her knees, and smiling up at him, slid his member into her mouth.

He felt his entire body freeze up, almost paralysed at the intense pleasure that she gave him. He didn't think anything could beat the previous night. He was wrong.

Rowan brought him close to the brink, and he groaned and trembled. She stopped suddenly, giving his tip a small kiss as she stood back up, looking him in the eye. He slowly tucked the loose strands of her hair behind her ear, and leaned down, kissing her tenderly. She deftly undid her jeans, and he helped pull them down, discarding them to the side, followed by her underwear. Cells hands found the firm flesh of her rear, and squeezed it as he pulled her body against his. He used his strength, effortlessly lifting her off the ground. She wrapped her legs around his waist, groaning into his mouth as he eased her down, sliding inside of her. This position was deep, and he supported her easily, although his knees felt like jelly.

He turned around, using the boulder as leverage, and leaning her against that, as he thrust himself inside of her. He was more prepared this time, and more hungry because of that. He thrust faster and harder into her than he had before, nibbling on the flesh of her neck, as she arched her back against him, her legs pulling him deeper inside of her.

He used on hand to support them against the rock; the other unhooked her bra, and found a breast, freeing it. He lifted her shirt and dropped his mouth to the tender flesh, tasting it, and loving how different it felt to the rest of her. She groaned, her hands clawing hungrily at his crest. He ached as he thrust, and all too quickly he trembled and exploded inside of her again, becoming paralysed in the ecstasy as he was forced to stop.

He held her for a while after that, burying his face against the warm flesh of her neck, her legs still wrapped around his waist. He tried to catch his breath while his body slowly began to return to normal. He slipped out of her, but he didn't put her down, lifting his face to hers. She kissed him again, and he nuzzled her neck, breathing in her heady scent, all the stronger now.

"I'm never going to get used to this." He rasped against her neck. She giggled at that, a rather surprising sound, but one he didn't mind. He turned his attention back to his own body, felt once again, the small surge of power and grinned to himself. Until he remembered, that no matter how much energy he amassed, it meant nothing if he couldn't become complete… He needed the androids.

He finally put Rowan down, annoyed at the thought that had soured an otherwise remarkable experience. Rowan seemed to sense his bitterness, and she brought him back into a kiss, her arms around his neck in a warm embrace. He hated to admit it, but that made him feel a little better, and as she let him go, he smiled.

She headed to her sleeping bag inside the tent, yawning. Cell was surprised to catch himself yawn in response. He considered the tent. It was a large tent, but he was a very large man. Rowan settled it though, as she slid over to the side and patted the area next to her. He hesitated only a moment, before he crawled inside. He rolled onto his side, propping his head up with one arm. He would have to keep him legs bent, and his tail curled up in order to fit, but as Rowan snuggled her back up against his chest, and he smelt the fruity flavours of her hair, he decided it was worth it.

He draped his free arm around her, and she hugged his hand to her chest. He used his other arm as a pillow and he closed his eyes.

Cell awoke quite suddenly, to a strange sensation in his tail. His eyes opened, adjusting to the early dawn light, revealing Rowan sitting up with a rather curious look on her face as she gentle traced the needle tip of his tail.

"That… tickles." He hissed, surprised at just how sensitive it was. Rowan giggled to herself but let him slide his tail out of her hands. She leaned down and kissed his cheek before she unzipped the tent and headed out.

"Oh what a beautiful sunrise." Rowan said. Cell stayed where he was, one hand on the warm spot where Rowan had been sleeping. He heard her slip off into the brush to relieve herself, only to come back a few moments later and rummage around in the supplies.

"I'm thinking we can walk around the town, and get back onto the road on the other side by lunch time. Maybe even make it to the valley before sun set." Rowan said. Cell grunted.

"We could just go through the town." He suggested.

"I'd prefer not to tangle with bandits. They might not be there now, but if they are, they could be a huge pain in the ass."

"Pity. I could use the snack." Cell heard Rowan stop moving at this and almost slapped himself for saying something so stupid.

"So… You do eat people." It was a statement, not a question. Her voice was quiet. Cell sighed and finally slid out of the tent, standing up to his full impressive height in front of Rowan.

"Yes." He said simply. Her face was unreadable until she turned away and continued packing.

"I kind of knew it to be honest. I just… Well, I guess I just never really thought about it. " She seemed sadder and Cell frowned.

"Does that bother you?" Rowan turned back to Cell with a rather dark look on her features.

"How could it not? There aren't a lot of people left. Having someone eating people isn't exactly good news." She said bitterly. Cell looked away from her. He found her disappointment surprisingly uncomfortable.

"Still… I suppose that's apart of what you are. Whatever you are." Rowan said dismissively. Cell studied her as she turned away from him, packing up the tent.

"I'm… I'm a bio-mechanical android." He said cautiously. She turned suddenly back to him, eyes wide.

"You're an android?! You're… You're one of them?" He knew she was talking about 17 and 18, the sibling androids that had been responsible for almost destroying the world and wiping out humanity.

"Not exactly. My purpose is actually to capture them, absorb them and become complete."

"What?" She sounded almost sceptical. He frowned.

"It's a little hard to explain. I was created by the same man that created the other androids. I was created after them. I was told, that if I merged with them… Basically, if I ate them, I'd obtain my perfect form, and unimaginable power. I would be the ultimate being, a creature of flawless power, skill and intelligence. It is my driving desire, my purpose and my reason for being."

"Then why eat people?" She asked quietly.

"I… I can drain the bio-energy from living things, which grants me power. The androids are strong, and I will need all the power I can get to defeat them and merge with them." Rowan frowned.

"I can give you power." She said simply. "I have been giving you power. You've noticed, surely. I know it's not as strong as it used to be, but it should still be something. Enough at least to stop you needing to eat people." Her look was stony, but sad. He frowned and thought about it for a moment.

"You do give me power. It isn't a lot in the grand scheme of things, but, thinking about it, it is still more or less the same power I would gain from hunting people all day long. That might be why I've been so willing to follow you." He said carefully. Her expression softened a little.

"Then, let's make a deal. You don't eat any one, and I'll sleep with you every night. I'll even show you how to make it a bit more potent so you get a bit more bang for your buck. And when you're finally happy you have enough power you can go catch your androids." Cell frowned and his eyes narrowed.

"What do you mean, more potent?"

"Well, sex is fantastic and all that, but if you can make me climax, **before** you do, the potency is a lot higher." Rowan said proudly. Cell felt a flush of colour rise to his cheeks and he looked down. He hadn't been expecting a stab of shame, but it was there none-the-less.

Rowan giggled as Cell blushed and looked uncomfortable at her statement.

"So, do we have a deal?" She asked with a grin. She held her hand out to him and he looked at it for a moment, considering it.

"I suppose. Although I will retaliate if I… if either of us, is attacked." He said, taking her hand in his own. It was strange, the sudden realization that he had given his word to not openly hunt down humans. But… He didn't need to now. Did he?

Cell walked alongside Rowan as they made their way through the forest. Cell had offered to fly them to the other side of the town in seconds, but Rowan had declined. She enjoyed the adventure, and simply arriving from one location to another without actually travelling, didn't feel like a journey. So he trudged along besides her, and then behind her as the brush became thicker. Rowan had high spirits and they two talked to pass the time as they travelled.

They came across a small river. The water looked clean, and Rowan filled up a large empty jug. She promised she would boil it when they made camp tonight, just to be safe, but at least it didn't look like it was contaminated.

Cell asked her questions about her past. She was surprisingly forth coming, despite everything. Her mother had died when she was young, so she didn't remember much about her. Her father had taken the death badly, and had turned to drinking. He became a horrible drunk and he was abusive and cruel to Rowan. When Rowan was 16, she stole her fathers' credit cards and bought herself a tiny capsule house, a bunch of food, clothes, tools and other supplies and had gone on the run. She had gone half way around the country before she found a small town she finally felt she could settle down in, Sumac City.

Her father never managed to track her down, but the fear of that made it hard for Rowan to really settle in, and so she became a bit of a loner. She got a job stacking shelves at a grocery store and life was tense, but she was happier than she had been before. And then the androids had attacked.

The next few years saw the population of Earth get cut in half, and then in half again. By the time Cell had emerged, the planet was ruined. People were few and far between. Those who survived, were smart, lucky and did whatever they had to, in order to survive.

Rowan was smart enough, and when her natural gift was discovered, she became an asset. She used this to give her security, food, shelter and whatever else she could get. She wasn't ashamed that she used her body so causally, she did what she needed to. Cell could appreciate that at least. She didn't really know if she wasn't human, but she suspected that her mother had been special. She had one photo of her family. She stopped and pulled it out to show Cell. Her mother was beautiful, very beautiful. Long silver hair, slightly pointed ears and teeth, brilliant grey eyes that shone with intelligence and compassion. Her father had dark brown hair, emerald green eyes and stubble. At the time of the photo, he had a big smile on his face and they looked happy.

Rowan pocketed the photo and the two continued on their trek. It was into the afternoon when they finally reached the road.

"Took longer than expected, but still, we made it!" Rowan said happily, bringing out her bike. Cell smiled at the chance to stretch out his legs, and he raced along besides Rowan. He watched her from the corner of his eye. Learning about her, just made him more attached to her. He frowned as he realized that. He was attached to her. He liked her. He frowned and turned his thoughts inwards at that fact.

Rowan's yell, and the sudden scream of rubber on road snapped him back to reality. A road block that had been hidden around a corner, revealed to be a clever trap. Cell snarled, angry at himself for loosing focus. He could have sensed this, but he had been distracted. Rowan managed to stop her bike, just short of full on crashing into the busses that blocked the road.

Heavily armed men, at least a dozen stood on top of them, each with their guns levelled at either Cell or Rowan.

"Woah, what the hell is that thing?" One of them asked loudly. All of them looked at Cell. He had stopped short, his tail flicking angrily as he stared up at them.

Two of the men jumped down and approached Rowan. She sighed and held her arms up in defeat.

"Come on guys, can't a girl go out for a ride in peace?" She asked meekly. The men snicked and motioned for her to get off. She did as they told her, one of the men inspecting the bike while the other kept his gun pointed at her.

"Nice bike!" One of them said.

"Thanks. I quite like it. I'd like to keep it." Rowan replied. The man with the gun pointed at her snickered.

"Sorry missy, but that's not gonna happen." Rowan frowned.

"What if I say please?" She asked desperately.

"Woah, easy there Roach man." Rowan looked over her shoulder at Cell. He looked angry, and had started to move towards her, but stopped. She knew he was worried about her safety, not his own. She turned back to the man pointing the gun at her.

"Hey, look, I know I'm not really your friend and stuff, but you should probably point the gun at him, not me. He's kind of nasty. I'm kind of not." The man laughed.

"You want me to shoot your freaky deaky buddy, instead of you?" Rowan nodded. "Wow, you're a bitch." She nodded again with a smile, but regardless, the man lowered his gun from Rowan.

"I'd really rather you guys didn't steal my stuff. You know, we could just move past without any fighting. Would be fantastic." Rowan said loudly, looking up at the people on the busses.

"Fighting? How are you planning on fighting? We have all the guns." One of the other men said. Rowan grinned up at him.

"I'm not doing any of the fighting. He is." She turned back to Cell and looked him dead in the eye. "Keep your promise, please." She said quietly, and firmly. He smirked then, his tail lashing against the road, leaving a huge crack.

"Woah dude, did you see that?" Rowan could see the slight tightening of Cells' muscles, and knew he was tapping his immense energy. She braced herself against the road, as Cell suddenly disappeared.

"Hey where'd he…."

"Nooo!" Rowan looked up, watching as one of the men went flying off the bus, sprawling on the ground. He groaned, not dead. There was gun fire at that point, and Rowan threw herself to the ground for cover. There was lots of yelling as Cell immobilized each of the men. Bullets didn't faze him as they bounced off harmlessly. The last man standing was the one near Rowan. Cell appeared suddenly in front of him, towering over the man. The man emptied his magazine at Cell, but Cell simply grinned, obviously having fun.

Rowan stood back up after the gun clicked. Cell uppercut the man, so fast, Rowan barely saw him move. Only saw the end result. Cell slowly pulled his fist back, as the man collapsed on the ground, clutching his belly. Cell stood back up and looked around.

"Are you sure I can't eat them?" He asked almost playfully. Rowan sighed and ignoring his question, checked her bike over once, before mounting it and weaving through the road block. Cell leapt effortlessly over the busses and caught up to Rowan as she sped off down the road.

Despite everything, Rowan had a giant smile on her face. She beamed at Cell as he ran along besides her.

"See Seru, adventure!" She yelled happily, before the happy mood was shattered, by her sudden cough. She slowed the bike and stopped it as she coughed, her whole body shaking violently. She wiped her mouth on her sleeve when she was done, frowning at the blood.

"That always ruins my day." She muttered. Cell frowned deeply at her, but she waved his concern off. "Let's just put some distance between those bandits and us, so we can find somewhere to camp for the night." She took off again with a screech of her tyres. Cell hesitated a moment, making sure he kept his senses up, before he followed her. He kept tabs on the bandits. They were moving now, heading down the road after them. He wondered if they were really that stupid, or if it was just coincidence.

Rowan stopped at a house on the side of the road. Cell urged her on. It was too dangerous, the bandits were on the move and this would be far too obvious. She agreed, and she turned off down a more secluded road. Cell didn't object at a different house far off the main road. This one had running water, but no hot water. After complaining about this fact, Cell instructed her to fill the bath anyway.

Rowan only watched in amazement as Cell heated the water using his energy. She enjoyed a blissful bath, regretting only that it was too small for him to join her. He crouched on the floor besides her, gently playing with her hair and she relaxed.

"This is delightful." She murmured. He mumbled agreement as he gently ran his clawed fingers through her hair. She moaned gently, and he felt himself tighten at the sound. She rolled her head to the side, watching him carefully.

"Rowan…" He began softly. "I can… I can fix you." He said after a while. He looked her in the eye, realized she was studying him intently. Her face was solemn.

"No." She said softly after a while. It was spoken lightly, but it was spoken with finality as well.

"Why not?" He protested.

"Everyone dies Seru. I've accepted my death. It's not ideal, but that's part of life." He frowned at her simple answer.

"I don't accept that. I can make your body strong again."

"So you can get the full benefit of me?" She asked bitterly. He frowned at that.

"No… I just don't want you to die." He said quietly, letting her hair go. She turned her face away from him, looking up at the ceiling.

"It's going to happen eventually. Even you'll die one day." This earned a snort from Cell.

"Not for a very long time." She grinned.

"Maybe not, but eventually. No, Seru, it is truly sweet of you to offer, but no."

Rowan chose to end her bath at this point and she stepped out of the bath. Cell stood up and took her into his arms suddenly, kissing her with a hungry passion. He realized, it wasn't sexual this time, but that he needed the comfort. Rowan broke the kiss, stroking his cheek softly.

"You smell." She said softly. His face fell flat and he frowned. He let her go and turned to the bath tub. It was far too small for him to sit in it with any degree of comfort. Eventually he settled on kneeling in the water which sloshed around his waist. His tail twitched in annoyance, but stilled as Rowan's light hands stroked the flesh across the back of his neck. He watched her intently over his shoulder as she used a bowl to scoop the water and poured it gently down his back.

Water splashed all over the floor as it ran down his wings, but they both ignored it. Cell was surprised at how much he enjoyed having her delicately wash him, using a small wash towel and some soap. She was quite thorough, and it took quite a while, enjoying the sudden intake of breath as she cleaned the tip of his tail. She felt his body tense up at her gentle touch, and it made her giggle.

Finally she was satisfied his back was clean, and she stepped out and around, sitting on the edge of the bath in front of him instead. He watched her face intently as she grinned at him, before getting to work on his head which forced him to look down. As the water ran down him, washing away the soap, he looked back up at her, and felt his body tense and his hunger rise. She had a soft smile and her face was full of focus as she gently washed his face.

He couldn't stop himself, closing the small distance between them, and taking her in his arms, kissing her hungrily. She gave a small yelp of surprise at the sudden movement, but her arms wrapped around his neck and she deepened his hungry kiss. He wanted her, there and then and he broke the kiss, looking her in the eyes for just a moment, before he suddenly scooped her up in his arms as if she was nothing.

He was concerned, for just a moment, at how light she was, but it was pushed from his mind as she nibbled on the sensitive flesh of his neck. He inhaled sharply, relishing her natural scent, taking her to the bed where he laid her down. He eased his weight down beside her, kissing her hungrily as his hand explored the warmth of her body.

His hand gently teased a nipple, loving how it hardened under his touch. She moaned into his mouth, and it only made him want her more. He moved his hand lower, across her belly, gently tracing the contours of her body. Her hand found his suddenly, and he broke the kiss, studying her face.

"Let me show you…" She whispered, using her hand to guide his down to the soft and warm mound of flesh between her legs. Her hand guided his as he explored her body, discovering how to please her. He felt her body trembling under his, and it made him ache. He lowered his head to her neck as she rolled her head to the side, groaning. He buried his head in the nape of her neck, her scent growing stronger with every passing moment. His own pressure was mounting purely from the anticipation, and he relished the control he had over her. He learnt a great deal about her body in that moment, and it gave him immense pleasure to learn just how much power he had in that moment, as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, her back arching against his hand and groaning.

He groaned against the skin of her neck as her nails bit at his flesh, her body trembling as she cried out.

"Stop!" She gasped. He did, bringing his fingers to his mouth, relishing her taste. She laughed at that, bringing his face down to hers and kissing him hungrily, tasting herself. She pulled his body onto hers, and he slid inside of her welcoming body, loving the warmth and tightness of her. Her smell was potent, and he knew she was close, so very close.

"Hard…" She whispered in his ear, pulling him into a hungry, needy kiss. He obliged, thrusting himself forcefully inside her. She moaned into his mouth, her legs wrapping around his waist, sliding him in even deeper. He thrust into her harder and faster than he had ever before, and every thrust caused her to cry out, until she suddenly tightened around him, her body trembling under his.

Her smell was intensely powerful and it had an extra spice to it as she climaxed. Her intense smell, her trembling, tightening body and her clawing hands were far too much for him, and he groaned as he peaked, losing all control over himself again. He rested his head against her shoulder, breathing heavily.

The changes in his body were like a domino effect. Something was different as his energy didn't just increase, but… became more concentrated. He couldn't explain it, but he felt truly alive at that moment, invigorated and incredibly powerful, but weak as a kitten and completely vulnerable.

He rolled off of her after a moment, onto his side. He was still reeling from the intensity of his own climax which had been more potent than any other, letting her snuggle against his chest.

His fingers absently played with her hair, rolling the strands in between his fingers as she fell asleep in his embrace. He frowned as he realized just how much he enjoyed Rowan's company. He watched her sleep, saw her side rise and fall steadily, but he could also hear the faint gargle of her lungs. It made his own chest tighten and he frowned. He was a realist, and he knew she would be dead soon. The thought of not having her around had a very heavy reaction, and for the first time in Cells' life… He was truly sad. He had been infuriated, enraged, annoyed and even lost when he realized the androids were gone, but the pain he felt now, was worse than even that. He closed his eyes, trying to shut it out, but as she sighed against him he felt all her ribs.

Cell hugged her tighter to him then, not wanting to let her go, and in his own mind, he realized, he didn't just want to keep Rowan around for the incredible gift she had… She was his, she accepted him for who he was, enjoyed his company, and was willing to share herself with him…

 _'I love her.'_ He admitted to himself, surprised at how comforting that admission actually was. He allowed himself a small smile, which disappeared quickly. She snuggled even closer against his body, her face pressed against his chest. He needed her again in that moment, not for the power, but for the comfort, and his own body surprised him.

He kissed her neck then, and she groaned, but woke, her eyes opening softly. He kissed her mouth, gently, and without any words being spoken, he rolled on top of her, easing himself back inside.

He made love to her then. It was over quickly, his need driving him, but it was gentle, and intimate.

Rowan woke first, feeling incredibly content. She was still entangled in Cell's arms, his beaked face buried in her hair, his chest pressed against her back. He was deeply asleep, his tail draped over their legs. She wanted to stay here, warm and safe in Cells' embrace, but her bladder protested and with a reluctant sigh, slowly, and carefully eased herself out of his arms. He moaned in protest, but did not wake.

She relieved herself and had a cold shower, which woke her completely. By the time she had dressed, eaten breakfast and repacked all the supplies, refuelled the bike and even enjoyed an early morning stretch, Cell finally emerged. She studied his form as he leant against the side of the house, watching her closely. He was different, his face looked more resolute, but solemn. His eyes were clouded with concern.

"Good morning." She said, covering her own concern with chirpy enthusiasm. He smiled at this, breaking the strange mood that had shadowed him.

"Good morning." He closed the distance between them, walking upright, like a man, instead of his usual predatory stoop. He pulled her into his arms, kissing her softly then, and she was all too happy to reciprocate.

"Slept well, I take it." She said, not asking, but saying it with a playful grin. He nuzzled her neck then, amazed at his own insatiable appetite. She hugged him, loving the warmth of his body against her own.

"Come on Seru… I actually want to get some travelling done today." She whispered as he gently ran his leathery lips over the flesh of her clavicle. Reluctantly, he let her go, watching as she mounted her bike, the engine roaring into life at her touch. The smile she gave him then was sultry and full of her own desire, before the bike skidded into a sudden acceleration, roaring down the road. Cell snickered. His wings twitched as they opened, and he burst off, leaving a crater in the ground.

Cell slipped into the tree line, his speckled green armour hiding him perfectly, as Rowan slowed down for another approaching vehicle. It was a bike, not much different from her own. A man and a young girl dismounted. After the formalities, they began to talk, discussing the roads and casually suggesting trades. Cell used the time to expand his senses, scanning the area. He could sense a large city, with a considerable number of people a good days' ride to the north. This surprised him slightly, and he focused his attention on it, trying to learn what he could.

The sudden gasping cough from Rowan snapped his attention back. The man and the girl backed away from her as she doubled over. The fit lasted a while, until Rowan finally recovered, wiping the blood from her mouth and turning back to the man.

"Sorry about that." She said, covering her obvious pain with a smile.

"Dust poisoning." The man said with a grim expression. Rowan nodded, and tried to gloss over it. The stone cold look in the mans' eyes was concerning.

"So you said you had a radio. What did you want…" Rowan never got a chance to finish her sentence. The man moved fast, and Cell hadn't been expecting his sudden, savage attack. Rowan grunted as he punched her square in the chest. Blood erupted from her mouth as she fell to her knees on the ground. Cell felt his rage boil, and he burst from the tree line with a sudden blood curdling roar, his aura burning brilliant gold around him. The last thing the man ever saw, was the truly terrifying monster that Cell was.

Cell's attack was more primal than that of a seasoned warrior. His power ripped the mans' head from his torso as if it was nothing, splattering the girl with blood. She finally found her voice, and screamed. Cell turned on her, his rage blinding, but he couldn't stop himself, even when Rowan leaped between them.

In his own rage, he struck Rowan, backhanding her out of the way, and sending her flying. She landed in a crumpled head on the road, and was still. Cells' fury vanished in an instant, and he realized what he had done.

The young girl, still screaming, turned and ran into the tree line. Cell was frozen, stunned by his own actions, staring at the still form of Rowan. It was an eternity, before he regained control over his own body, and he rushed to her side.

"Rowan…" He pleaded, surprised at the desperation in his own voice. She was face down on the ground and gently he rolled her over. Blood smeared the left side of her face, and Cell felt his heart sink. He lowered his head to her chest, listened to her heart beat and breathed a tiny sigh of relief. She was not dead. He scooped her up gently in his arms, his wings opening as he erupted into the air.

He landed at a nearby house, where he rushed her inside, and eased her onto the first bed he could find, grabbing a bowl of water, heating it, and quickly set about cleaning the blood from the wound so he could take a better look at it.

It was already clotting and this made him feel relief, if only for a moment. A dark bruise was forming across her cheek where he had struck her, and the guilt he felt was a heavy weight. His search of the house revealed it to have been mostly cleaned out, and with a great deal of annoyance, he left the house, roaring back to the road. The girl had returned and was inspecting Rowans' bike. As Cell landed, she screamed and fled again. Cell ignored the other bike that was still parked down the road, and rummaged through the bag on the side of the bike, finding one of the med kits he knew she kept stashed there. He capsuled her bike and blasted back off towards where Rowan was.

It was dusk when Rowan finally stirred. She had a splitting headache and the left side of her face was in agony. It took a few moments for her to remember what happened. Cell was sitting on the edge of the bed, his back to her. She reached out for him, but stopped short, as the movement brought on a violent coughing fit. Cell turned to watch her, his face dark with a cruel and twisted bitterness.

Rowan was in bad shape. The mans' attack had worsened her chest greatly. Cell's attack had split her head and given her a nasty bruise and a sore shoulder, but it was her chest that hurt the most. When she finally stopped coughing, Cell handed her a glass of water and her inhaler. She gratefully used the inhaler and downed the water.

Normally the medication eased the pain, but it did nothing. Rowan felt grim as she realized there was no relief. The pain in her chest was terrible, and she couldn't get a full breath of air. She eased herself back onto the bed and sighed.

"Rowan, I…" Rowan touched Cell's arm, silencing him. She smiled.

"It's okay Seru. You don't have to apologise. I know you didn't mean it." She kept her hand on his arm, gently squeezing him for reassurance. Her voice was rasped and she could hear the gargle as she breathed.

"Let me fix you, please." He begged his eyes full of concern. She frowned and looked away from him then, her hand dropping. She sighed after a while and patted the bed next to her. The bed groaned in protest as Cell lay down beside her. She stroked the V shaped crest on his head sadly.

"I want you to go, Seru." She said quietly, after a long while. He propped himself up, looking into her face with a dark expression.

"I'm not leaving you. Not like this." He stated.

"I'm dying. I won't last another day, you know that." The fact that it had been said with such simple finality struck Cell and he felt his throat tighten.

"Rowan…" She guided his face down to hers, and she kissed him, a soft kiss, gentle and tender. "I'm not going." He said quietly with sincerity. Rowan nodded gently and closed her eyes. She hurt badly. She could feel her broken lungs struggling for even a small breath of air, and everything ached. _'Dying sucks.'_ She thought to herself.

"Cell… Thank you. For everything." She whispered quietly as she relaxed. Cell could only frown, noting that she had used his real name.

Cell watched as she eased into a sleep again, and he curled himself up in a ball besides her, his face close to hers, watching her. He felt miserable, his own guilt crushing him like an immense weight.

She slept for a few hours, but Cell didn't move from her side, watching the rise and fall of her chest and listening to her struggle to breathe.

She awoke to another violent coughing fit, and Cell could do nothing but watch. Finally, she reached out for her med pack, prepared the inhaler. There were still a few vials of the stuff left and she held them in her hand. She looked at Cell sadly.

"In the bag, on my bike, there is a book. I'd really appreciate it if you could go get it for me." She said. He nodded and slipped from the room. Rowan didn't hesitate, and unscrewed the vials, downing each one without bothering with the inhaler.

Cell popped open the bike, and rummaged through the bags. He saw no book. He checked again and frowned. He checked the compartment under the seat and when that too, revealed no book he frowned. His senses suddenly screamed and he whirled back into the house.

It was too late. She looked as if she was peacefully asleep, a small smile on her face, but there was no golden light of energy in her body. Cell saw the empty vials of the potent medicine and he felt his heart ache. He always considered the notion of a broken heart to be just a silly human saying, but in that moment, he truly felt like one could die from it.

The absolute despair that gripped Cell was a dark thing indeed. He lay by Rowans' body for a long while, watching as her soft warm skin turned rigid and pale. He couldn't begin to make sense of the broken world inside his own head, and could only stare, feeling cold, dark and utterly alone.

No androids, no Rowan, no purpose…

It was two days later, the weather was dark and ominous, threatening to rain, but not yet doing so. Cell was standing to his full impressive height, looming over the small mound of dirt. It had been one of the hardest things that Cell had ever done, burying Rowan. But he had done it. He had even buried an apple with her; in the hopes it would grow into a tree to honour her. It had seemed fitting at the time.

His entire body had turned cold, no longer burning with the fire of life, but instead, resolute and stony. He felt his hunger to feed growing within him again. His attention had been continuously drawn back to the city that he could sense, full of people who were trying to rebuild now the androids were gone. People who did not deserve to live.

"I am sorry Rowan." He rasped his voice hollow and empty. After a long time, the wind turned chilly and the rain began to fall. It was a heavy, cold and biting rain, although it did nothing to faze the resolute tyrant. Finally, he turned away from her grave and disappeared into the darkness of the trees.

The next few days, the world learnt that the horror of the androids was not over. The androids destroyed cities for the fun of it, but Cell was a methodical, vicious predator, and he stalked people relentlessly. There was nowhere safe to hide. There was nowhere safe to run. Cell was a monster. And the dark depression that consumed him only made his insatiable hunger all the more potent.

By pure chance, he happened upon the re-built Capsule Corp where Bulma and Trunks now lived. Cell stalked them, watching from the shadows.

"I think things are finally starting to get back to normal, now you've defeated the androids." Bulma said conversationally as she unhooked a fuel pipe from a strange machine. Trunks helped her, rolling up the tubes and hanging them on a hook on the side of a huge fuel tank.

"Yeah, it feels real good, knowing our timeline has a future again." Trunks replied. Cell cocked his head, curious as to what he had meant, but remained hidden, supressing his energy to the absolute minimum as to not alert the half-Sayain warrior.

"Alright, just let me give everything a double check, and I think it should be all set and ready for you." Bulma climbed up a small step ladder, opening up the tiny cockpit of the machine. She fiddled around with the control panel before, satisfied she clambered down.

"I am looking forward to seeing father again." Trunks said with a slight hint of colour to his cheeks. Cell's lips curled back at this. Vegeta was dead, killed by the androids years ago.

"Just remember to be patient with him sweetheart." Bulma said, giving Trunks a quick hug. "Alright Hun, the time is set, and everything is ready for you to go back in time. I bet the others will be thrilled to hear how you managed to stop the androids."

"Thanks Mom." Trunks said hurriedly returning the hug.

Cell's eyes widened with the sudden realization of what he was witnessing. The sheer luck of it. Was it even possible? Had the genius woman actually built a time machine? He wasn't willing to let this chance slide by, and moved quickly and quietly. Trunks and Bulma wheeled the time machine out of the open roller door and into the open air.

With Trunks' back to him, Cell attacked. Bulma screamed, but Trunks never stood a chance. Cell's sneak attack was brutal, his needle tip slamming Trunks' back with enough force it pierced through his chest. Cell eased it back inside the body and within a heartbeat, Trunks was gone. Bulma screamed, horrified, but Cell didn't waste time, stabbing her in the throat, and sucking her dry as well.

There was a problem with the time machine, Cell realized. It was tiny. A small machine designed for a small man with little room to move. Cell tried to squeeze into it, but he couldn't risk destroying the delicate console on the dashboard. There was, he realized with a burning flush of anger, no way he could fit into the time machine.

But… if this worked, his androids would be alive in the past. He could still achieve his terrible purpose… He could still… be complete.

Cell was a truly terrifying creature in that moment, as he considered the options. There was nothing left in this world for him. Nothing. He spared only a moment's thought for Rowan, lying forever buried under the ground, with the apple. His mind was made, and he activated the timer on the machine.

Regressing from his matured form, backwards, shrinking into his larval form, and becoming cocooned in the strange pink stasis shell, was a horrible feeling. It was like being born in reverse, and it disgusted Cell. But he had no choice. He could almost taste the androids and it made him quiver with anticipation. His arms and legs shrunk, becoming tiny and stubby. His spine shifted, becoming more compressed. His wings and tail shrivelled, until his tail was non-existent and his wings were little more than stubs on his shoulders. He even felt his manhood shrivel and suck back up inside his body.

His body became cocooned and he never saw the machine activate. He felt the rumble and the sudden strange lurch that made his head swim, but it ended quickly, and the machine landed with a tremble. Cell's monstrous energy had become concentrated and sealed away within his core. It left him feeling weak and pathetic, as his tiny body struggled to crack the cocoon.

Finally, without a loud and satisfying crack, the rigid casing cracked and split open. Cell was tiny, barely the size of a small dog. He felt clumsy in this old body of his, but as he looked out on the world outside the machine, he realized, it was worth it. His senses were still as acute as ever, and he could feel the brilliant concentrations of life energy in the untouched cities, towns and villages. Yes, this world was ripe for the harvest, and somewhere, out there, his androids were waiting.

Cell managed a weak energy blast, just barely enough to rip open a hole in the canopy of the cockpit. It was a struggle for Cell to crawl out, and he grunted as he rolled down and off the machine onto the floor.

He was weak, vulnerable and exposed in this form. He considered his options; he knew it would take time, a lot of time, for his body to re-mature. Time he did not want to waste, but knew he had no choice. His initial, primitive instinct was to bury himself under ground and absorb nutrients from the world in his larval state until it was ready to evolve. The instinct was strong enough, that he even began to scratch at the dirt.

But something stopped him, a thought. A realization. It was a powerful thing, and it made him freeze. He closed his eyes and focused on his senses, sending them out, wider, and wider. He got a feel for where he was the location he had arrived within the world. It took him a while to focus his mind enough to filter out the mass of information his senses were relaying. He used his keen knowledge of geography, thanks to the computer that had created him, to eventually pin point the location he wanted. It would take him a few days to walk there. He did not have the control he needed over his energy to fly. And he didn't have the energy to spare for such a waste. No, he would have to walk.

Was it a good idea though? He clicked his beak, a strange sound to his ears. He tried to talk, realized he couldn't. He didn't have developed vocal chords in this form. A small set back, he decided. It took him quite a while to reach his decision. There was no guarantee and he had his doubts, but he began to walk, at a surprisingly brisk pace for such a poorly equipped body.

For the first time, since Rowans' death, Cell felt… hopeful. He had been given a second chance. A new start, a fresh perspective… He wasn't going to waste it. He would have his androids. He would become complete. And… Rowan would still be alive in this time line. Alive, young and healthy.


	2. II

Rowan cursed her luck as she stood under the porch of the small café where she worked. The rain was heavy and coming down in slicing sheets. There wasn't much wind, but the air was cold and the little gusts clawed at Rowans' skin, making her shiver and break out in goose bumps.

"If you want to wait around hun, I can give you a lift home in about an hour, after I finish up." Rowan turned to the middle aged, portly woman in her stained apron and warm, rounded face.

"Thanks, Mary, but I should be Okay." Mary beamed at Rowan, her kind face made only more homely with the crows-feet wrinkles at the corners of her eyes.

"Alright darl, but you let me know if you change your mind. That's some dreadful weather to be walking home in." Rowan nodded her thanks at the owner of the café, and her boss, turning back to the road.

Already the rain had turned the dirt into mud, and small rivulets were pooling into large puddles. Rowan sighed and tried to cheer herself up with thoughts of a warm bath and a hot cup of cocoa when she made it home. The sky was dark and heavy and it showed no signs of letting up.

Resigned to the fact she was going to have a long, cold and wet walk home, Rowan stepped off the porch and into the miserable rain. Within minutes she was cold and soaked through. She hugged her small bag to her chest and she kept a brisk pace to keep herself warm, almost jogging as she followed the Main Road down the hill, leaving the small boutique shops along the main road behind her.

Sumac City was not actually a city. It was a tiny town in a rural area, comprised of only a handful of boutique stores. It was nestled in a huge valley of sloping hills that supported a huge dense forest that gave way to the rural farms of the area. Most people that lived in Sumac City lived on farms outside the actual town centre. Rowans' house was outside the main city, a good 45 minute walk, although with Rowan's current pace, she was making good time.

The main road that Rowan followed, reached a small intersection that was little more than gravel thrown over a dirt road. Rowan turned down this, slowing down as she was forced to tread a little more carefully.

The sound of the heavy rain was deafening, and she didn't hear the sounds of the bushes on the side of the road rustling as something moved alongside her.

As a matter of fact, she didn't see the strange creature jump out in the road in front of her, as she had her head down, trying to keep the rain out of her face, and she almost tripped over it. She stopped just short as it came into her view, and she froze, staring at the bizarre thing that blocked her way.

It was about the size of a medium dog, insect like in appearance, with a huge V-shaped head and a strange beaked mouth. Its eyes were huge and pink with slit pupils, like a cat. It was mottled brown and had four legs, and a huge bulky body. It looked… Weird.

"Well hey there little guy. You're an interesting critter." She had to speak loudly over the rain, and she knelt down, bringing herself to its level. She wasn't sure what it was, or even if it was friendly, and she kept her hands to herself, just looking at it, trying to sate her curiosity.

It tilted its strange head to the side, and she smiled. She gave a small shiver, as a gust of wind pierced through her.

"It's freezing little guy." She said standing back up. She gave the creature a wide berth, not wanting to alarm it, but she walked on, continuing on her path down the road. She glanced back over her shoulder, and was amazed to see the awkwardly bulky creature was trotting along, surprisingly agile on its four legs. It was following her, its eyes focused on her. She veered off to the side of the road and stopped under a tree trying to shelter from the weather as she watched as the creature joined her a moment later.

"Are you following me?" She asked, absently. She almost fell over in shock though when the creature suddenly nodded. "Wait... Did you just nod?" The creature clicked its beak and nodded again, still watching her with its unblinking stare. Rowan stared at the creature, stunned that it was obviously sentient.

The sky darkened and the rain seemed to fall even harder. Rowan looked around before returning her focus back to the creature. It didn't seem bothered by the rain or the cold at all.

"Look little guy, I'm freezing cold. I need to get home." She said with a reluctant smile. She unslung her bag that she had been hugging to her chest and rummaged around. She pulled out an apple she hadn't eaten at work, and knelt down, offering it to the creature. It stared at her with a completely unreadable expression for a moment; before it reached out and took the apple in its strange beaked mouth, devouring it in one go. Rowan smiled at the creature, and reached her hand out, gently touching the strange head crest.

"Wow, you're really warm!" She said, surprised. She had been expecting something insect like to be cold to the touch. The creature snapped its beak again in reply. She looked at the creature, could see a strange calculating look in its huge eyes. She smiled at it again, before she stood up, and started for home again. The creature followed her, and she kept glancing back at it, amused as it trotted along in the muddy rain.

Finally, she rounded a bend in the road, and she saw her house. It was only small and dome shaped. It was a capsule house, one that could be easily shrunk down to something that fits into a pocket and moved, but this one had been standing in the same spot for almost a year now. It even had a garden in the soil near the door. She rummaged in her bag again, and grabbed her keys, unlocking the small door.

The creature didn't even wait to be invited inside, and simply pushed past her as she opened the door. Rowan chuckled at this, and slipped inside after it, flicking on the lights and activing the small wall heater. It would take a while for the house to warm up, but it was better than freezing.

Inside, the main room housed a small kitchen, desk, lounge, TV and a few shelves. A small door led to the bedroom and bathroom. It wasn't much, but it was her home and she was proud of it. The creature was already wandering around, inspecting everything with a strange curiosity.

"Make yourself at home, little guy. I'm going to go have a quick shower and get out of these wet clothes. I can make us some dinner after." The creature looked back at her and nodded. She chuckled to herself, still utterly amazed that the creature was smart enough to understand what she said.

Cell watched her disappear into the bedroom and heard the shower turn on. His mind was running rampant, and he was amazed he had actually found her. She looked so different from the Rowan he knew. She was younger, barely 18, if his maths was correct. Her hair was longer and a richer shade of auburn and she didn't have the lines on her face and the resolution in her eyes that the future Rowan had.

But differences aside, it was still Rowan and he couldn't help but feel elated. What's more, is standing in her small house, he could smell her everywhere. And the smell was richer in this time line. Not necessarily more potent, but richer in flavour. He carefully inspected her furnishings. The small desk she had was piled with books and papers and a small, cheap laptop. More books were stacked on the floor next to the chair. The lounge was worn but still looked comfortable, and the TV was an old model. The sink was stacked with dishes and clothes littered the floor.

Rowan wasn't exactly neat, he mused to himself. But he didn't mind. Her smell was incredibly comforting, and he hadn't expected that. He had felt a huge pang of pain as Rowan had offered him the apple in the rain, remembering Rowan's corpse buried with the apple in the future, and he had struggled to force himself to eat the apple. It had tasted like ash, but it was the symbol of the act, that was important, the symbol of accepting her hospitality.

He was lost in his own sombre thoughts when Rowan emerged, clean and wearing a pair of bumble bee pyjamas. Cell watched her as she smiled at him, using a towel to dry her hair, before tossing it on a pile of clothes near the door. Washing pile, he assumed, staring at it for a moment.

"So little guy, any ideas what you want for dinner? I have sausages, pasta, tacos, salad, potatoes, if you want baked potatoes, umm… Oh, I can make pizza. I forgot I had those bases…" She drifted off as she rummaged through her fridge and pantry. Cell just watched as she preheated the oven, cut up the sausages and some vegetables, grated some of her block of cheese and spread it out over two pizza bases. After she had them cooking in the oven, she flicked the TV on and sat on the couch.

Cell made his way over slowly, considering the furniture. His body was huge and bulky and his legs were short and squat. He would have a hard time getting up on the couch, and settled on the rug on the floor. Rowan watched him ease himself down and after a moment, she slid off the couch next to him.

The two locked eyes, staring at each other for a while.

"You are one incredible creature." She said after a while in a tone of amazement. He tilted his head slightly to the side, quizzical. "I'm trying to figure out what you are. You don't look like you're fully formed yet." She gestured to his underdeveloped, shrivelled wings on his back. Cell nodded once, confirming her observation.

"Right. So… Are you some type of insect?" Cell shook his head. "A dinosaur?" Another shake of his head. "Are you an alien?" Cell paused, considering this. He technically had the DNA of aliens in his genetic makeup, but he had been created on Earth. By definition, he was an Earthling. He shook his head.

"You hesitated on that one." She said with a grin. Cell clicked his beak at her, wishing he could at least talk to her. "Do you have a name?" She asked after a while. Cell nodded. "Can you tell me?" Cell looked at her for a long time, before he picked himself back up and waddled over to the desk. He looked up at the lap top, then back at Rowan.

"Oh!" Rowan exclaimed, and leapt to her feet. She turned the lap top on, and opened up a writing program, and put the lap top on the floor. Cell hesitated for a moment, and looked up at Rowan. He turned back to the lap top, and using one foot, which was awkward and poorly designed for typing, he managed to type out 4 letters.

Rowan looked at the screen with an amazed expression.

"Seru? Your name is Seru?" Cell nodded once, and felt his chest tighten as she said it.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Seru. My name is Rowan Graves." Cell nodded again and clicked his beak. "Can you tell me what you are?" She asked with a grin. Cell wondered how much he should tell her, and turned back to the computer.

"Experiment." Rowan read. She frowned. "Did you escape?" Cell considered this. He nodded once. Rowan smiled at him. "Well, I'm kind of on the run too. Tell you what, you can stay here and hide out with me if you want. I guess we can be fugitives together!" Cell clicked his beak again in agreement.

Rowan quickly learned that Cell had a monstrous appetite. He would eat anything, and everything she put in front of him, no matter how much or how little or what it was. He devoured the pizza she offered him in seconds, and watched her hungrily as she ate a couple of slices of her own, before she relented and gave him the rest.

Time passed by quickly, and Cell became more acutely aware of the personality differences between the two Rowans. In the future, Rowan had been wise, reserved and carried the weight of the struggle just to survive on her shoulders. She had appreciated the little things, especially a hot bath and a full stomach, and she was completely fearless, dealing with new things and sudden unexpected surprises without over reacting.

This Rowan, was young and naïve. She worried about little things and tended to over react to new situations. But she still had the same intelligence, and was able to come up with unique solutions to her problems. She was more materialistic, pining over new clothes and gadgets she couldn't afford on her meagre salary. But she was a hard worker, and she was a quick learner too.

Cell quickly adjusted to Rowan's daily routine. She worked 5 days a week from 7-4, and usually struggled to be awake in time. Cell had taken to being her alarm clock, something he took sadistic delight in, ripping open the curtains and flooding the bedroom with light, before head butting her until she got up. When she was gone, he would usually sleep.

However, he also spent a good deal of time on the internet. Rowan left her lap top on the floor for easy access for him. She had even made a series of ramps around the house to make it easy for him move around. Getting onto the couch or the bed was extremely easy now. He spent a lot of time keeping up to date with news and current affairs, and was always absorbing knowledge. The internet was a fountain of information, and Cell lapped it all up.

Cell had taken to the habit of meeting Rowan half way when she walked home, and she would tell him about her day. On the days she didn't work, they went for walks and picnics together. The two would argue and debate any variety of topics, when they were at home, with Cell giving his side through the laptop.

4 years flew by. Cell had more than doubled in size, and he knew that soon, it would be time for him to finally mature.

Rowan burst through the door, dressed in a very seductive red dress.

"That, _**bastard**_!" She roared.

She threw her purse on the floor and stormed angrily into the bedroom. Cell slowly pushed himself to his feet and ambled awkwardly after her. He was uncomfortably large now, and it was becoming a pain to move around. Burying himself underground and simply waiting it out, although boring would have saved him a lot of awkwardness during his final months of maturing.

Rowan was slumped against the wall, her knees pulled to her chest, and her face buried in her arms. Her shoulders shuddered as she sobbed. Cell made his way carefully around the bed, aware of his large size in the cramped room. He settled in front of Rowan, and waited. He was used to this.

Rowan no longer suffered from the oppressive fear that her abusive father would find her. Becoming restless, and craving social interaction, she had begun dating some of the younger men in the town. Brian had become her latest object of attention.

Cell had watched her over the years, with a pang of jealousy, as she often spent evenings out on dates. None of her relationships ended well however, and although Cell knew why, he couldn't bring himself to point it out to Rowan. She was protecting Cell from discovery and she struggled to commit to any relationship. Even the friends she had in the town were more casual than anything else. She had a reputation for being a loner, preferring to go home in the evenings rather than stay out partying all night. They could never know about the strange creature she shared her life with.

"He said he's tired of being strung along. He said he can't wait for me to figure out if I want to commit to him or not." Rowan said, after a long while. She wiped her eyes on the corner of her bed spread and stared at Cell, who stared back. She threw herself around his neck, burying herself against his warm body as she started to cry again. Cell let her cry herself out, knowing that all he could do was give her the comfort of his company. He smelt faintly of fresh turned Earth, a reassuring and comforting thing. It helped calm her down.

"Sometimes… Sometimes I wish you were human, Seru." She said after a while, finally easing herself away from him and looking him in the eye. "I'd be so much happier then." Cell felt his chest tighten and he suddenly found he couldn't look her in the eye, lowering his gaze from hers. She cradled his face in her hands, leaning forward and gently kissing the top of his beak in a friendly show of affection. Cell moved out of the way as she stood up, and watched as she headed into the shower.

He knew she didn't see him as a man, that he was a super-intelligent creature to her, never more than a friend. It made him angry, and he returned to the couch to seethe internally. He knew he wanted her, knew the feelings he had shared with the Rowan of the future had carried over and only strengthened his resolve to have her in this world too. He felt helpless, waiting for his body to mature.

But, even after he had matured, he couldn't linger with her for long, he knew. The androids… His purpose burned with a fierce desire, and as he thought of finally becoming complete, he felt his heart surge. He would achieve his goals. He would fulfil his purpose. And then… And then he could consider Rowan. But the androids would come first. His body quivered with the anticipation of achieving his purpose, and he allowed himself to dwell on that for a while. It wouldn't be long now, he knew.

He heard Rowan get out of the shower, and shortly after she emerged wearing her silk boxers and a tank top. She sat on the floor, leaning back against the couch and Cell, who watched her as she combed her waist length hair. He could smell her strawberry shampoo mix with her natural scent and it heated his blood.

Rowan flicked through the TV channels, settling on an old war documentary.

"You never did finish telling me why you thought the global empire was a bad idea." She said conversationally, as she plaited her hair. Cell clicked his beak at her. He had been lost in his own thoughts.

"I know you said that unifying the whole world under one leader made it vulnerable and slowed the development of weapons, but you never really explained why that was a bad thing." She looked over her shoulder at his face, that was focused intently on her own. "I mean, if the whole world is at peace and the prosperity is at its highest in recorded history, why does the development of weaponry even matter? It's unlikely there will be any wars. The emperor has been pretty good at keeping the peace." Cell snorted, a strange sound and he lifted himself up off the couch and ambled slowly down the ramp onto the floor. Rowan grabbed the laptop from the table in front of her, and placed it on the floor.

It took a moment for it to boot up, but Cell was soon typing away. He had become better at typing with his ungainly 3 toed foot, but it was still awkward.

"No defence against non-political unexpected attack." She read out as she leaned against him to read the screen. She frowned, staring at the words on the screen for a moment. "I don't get what you mean by that. How could a non-political attack be a threat?" Cell clicked his beak again, a habit he had developed in this form as a sign of agitation.

 _ **Aliens. Science. Experiments. Tests.**_ He wrote. Rowan was silent for a moment, thinking.

"I think I get what you're saying. Because there is no global conflict, we've stunted the progress for our own personal defence, in case there was an alien invasion, or a mad scientist goes on the war path." Cell gave her a curt nod. She looked at him for a long time, obvious conflict in her eyes. She had asked him several times about his origin, but he had only ever given her vague answers. He had decided long ago, that he would tell her, when he could talk to her face to face. Mostly, he was procrastinating, not wanting to tell her the whole truth, and just enjoying her company. Things would change between them when he matured. A fact he knew, but avoided thinking about. He had thought about it a great deal, running different scenarios through his head.

 _ **"We interrupt this regularly scheduled program for a live Emergency Announcement."**_ Cell snapped out of his thoughts, turning to the TV. A very tense reporter was standing in a city street, a street that was littered with empty clothing. He felt his hearth skip a beat and his whole body tense.

"What on Earth..." Rowan began as she focused on the TV.

 _ **"Nikki Town is under attack by a Monster. Thousands of people are missing in the creatures' wake, leaving only their empty clothes and… Oh my god, RICK, LOOK OUTARRGGHHH**_ " The camera dropped, changing the field of view from the reporter, to his feet. There was a gargled yell, before the reporters' clothes fell in a crumpled heap to the pavement. A green, three toed, black-clawed foot appeared for a moment on the screen before it disappeared out of view. The screen flickered to an error message suddenly.

Cell felt his body go numb with the realization of what was going on, even though it should have been impossible.

"Oh my god, a monster? And Nikki Town is only about an hour's drive through the valley…" Rowan said. She turned to face Cell, and her face paled. Cell's eyes were incredibly wide, but his pupils were tiny, and his beaked mouth was agape.

"Seru, are you okay?" She asked. Cell finally regained his composure and closed his mouth and gave her a tense nod. He quickly typed something out on the screen before he moved to the middle of the floor. Rowan leaned over to read what he had written.

"Evolve?" She asked, looking at him, just in time to see him collapse nosily to the ground. "Seru?!" She leapt to her feet, as her best friend's eyes glassed over, and his warm mottled brown colour faded to grey before her eyes. His legs slumped, lifeless and his head tilted forward. She stopped herself from rushing to his side, as she heard a liquid sound come from within the hard shelled body.

A sudden brilliant flash of light, almost blinded her, and she stepped back, shielding her eyes, only daring to look when an almighty crack, like a snapping tree branch, reached her ears. She blinked, trying to adjust, unable to believe what she saw, as the ridge down Seru's back split in half, opening with a wet crunch.

It had been four long years since Cell had stood on 2 legs. He arched his back, stretching out his spine, feeling it crack satisfyingly. His tail uncurled behind him, and he felt his wings flex. He looked down at his hands, which were no longer stubby little things. They were flexible, long and useful again. He made fists, felt his sinews tighten and his muscles ripple. The energy he had been storing for the past 4 years flooded his body, giving him renewed vigour and strength, and he could feel it saturating the fibres of his muscles and tendons. But the energy had diminished somewhat over the four years of inactivity, and his body was new, and it felt weaker than he remembered. He tilted his head slightly, looking sideways at Rowan. She seemed smaller now, and she seemed afraid.

'No, not afraid', he thought to himself, 'Surprised.' He opened his beaked mouth in a smile.

"Hello, Rowan."


	3. III

Rowan had known for a long time that eventually, one day, Seru would mature. He had told her on several occasions, although he was vague on the specific details of how or when. Now he had and it had been sudden, and had taken her completely by surprise.

What's more is she hadn't been expecting him to look like what he now did. She had often wondered what he would look like, thinking he would look more like a larger, less bulky version of his current form, more slender and refined, but she hadn't been expecting him to be… Well… He wasn't a man, but he was bipedal, had the same general shape. She could see the muscles in his torso, arms and legs, and they were very much man like, but that was where the similarities ended.

His body was covered in strange leathery armour, in different shades of earthy green and marked with dark speckles. His abdomen, beak and skull were segmented and bright orange. His head crest had shrunk, becoming more spread out then upright. His wings were longer now, rigid and rounded like a beetle, and they hung from his shoulders like a cape. But the most distinctive thing was the long, thick and muscular tail that originated from between his wings. It curled around behind him, moving like a snake, the strange needle tip made him look truly menacing.

"Hello Rowan." He said with a gravelly voice. Rowan laughed a strange sound to her ears.

"You… You can talk…" She said quietly, hearing the disbelief in her own voice. He smiled, a strange thing to see, the corners of his beaked mouth pulling back. It was not unkind. Although his eyes had become less rounded, she could still read them and saw only warmth there.

"Yes. I've waited a long time to say your name, Rowan." She felt a rush of heat to her cheeks, and knew she was blushing. His voice was surprisingly sultry. He was incredibly tall, and had to stoop slightly to avoid hitting the ceiling, which only made him seem even larger. He stepped around the cracked open shell of his previous body, closing the distance between him and Rowan with surprising grace. She was amazed at how easy it was for him to move around already.

She didn't back away from his approach, but the hairs on the back of her neck stood up, and she felt her body tense. There was something in his eyes, a hunger that made her nervous. He lifted one hand to her face, very gently tucking the loose strands of her hair behind her ear. His touch was warm and gentle, and she shivered as his fingers brushed the side of her face.

"This is incredible!" She finally said after an awkward silence. She slipped from his gentle touch, and circled him, taking in all the details of his new body. Cells eyes followed her, although he didn't move as she examined him closely. She touched the rigid shell of his wings, noting the smoother texture than the leathery skin of his tail. She gently poked the armour segment on the back of his arm, feeling the firm, sinewy muscle beneath. She grabbed his hand gently, turning it over in her own, comparing the differences.

"That is quite ticklish." He said softly. She looked him in the eye, surprised at the look he gave her. It was similar to the look he gave her when his larval form was hungry and she presented him with a delicious feast for dinner. Only this hunger looked more intense, and she felt her breath catch and her belly tighten. That look was dangerous, the look of a predator stalking its prey.

"So, this is your final form?" She said nervously, letting his hand drop as she stepped back and made another circle around him, breaking the intense stare.

"Not quite." He said after a moment. His voice sounded a little flatter, _'Disappointed_ ' she noted. "This is my matured form, but I have two more transformations to attain before my body is complete." She stopped circling behind him again, gently picking up his tail in her hands, feeling the firm and thick muscles that gave his tail its snake like movement. He watched her over his shoulder as she made a show of inspecting him.

"This is really remarkable." She said, more to herself, "What do you mean complete?" She glanced at Cell as she asked this. Cell hesitated for a moment and she could see a strange darkness flash across his eyes. He was internally debating, she realized.

"I… I suppose it's only fair I tell you the truth, Rowan." His tone was darker, and he seemed almost… sad. Rowan swallowed as he slipped his tail from her hands and turned to face her. He was careful and slow in his movement, but as he turned and lowered himself down to a squat, all she saw was the same grace as a big cat would have when lowering itself down to a stalking position. His focus on her was just as intense.

Rowan swallowed her uncertainty, reminding herself that this huge creature was still her friend and companion of the past 4 years. She sat herself down on the couch opposite Cell, her eyes glancing for a moment, at the cracked open shell of her old friend that still sat on the floor to the side of the couch.

"My real name is Cell, not Seru." He began. This sudden nugget of truth shocked Rowan more than his sudden evolution had.

"What?! Cell? Why would you…" She stopped as he held up his hand.

"Let me tell you the whole story, and then you can ask questions." Rowan struggled to contain herself, but finally she sighed and nodded, her shoulders slumping as she pouted. Cell only smirked at this; it was something he had always found strangely appealing.

"As I said, my real name is Cell, and I was created as a bio-mechanical android by a man named Doctor Gero. He was, if nothing else, a genius. He was also obsessed, and dedicated the majority of his life to the eradication of his sworn enemy, a young man named Son Goku." Rowan fidgeted, gently scratching the back of her hands absently, a nervous habit she had. It was obvious she was struggling not to interrupt him.

"He created several mechanical androids in his pursuit of vengeance. However, none of them were considered to be successes. Deciding to take a new approach, he programmed a very powerful computer with a calculating AI and gave it the sole task of engineering a biological android, one that would encapsulate the embodiment of power."

"You?" Rowan asked, unable to stop her. Cell grinned, almost menacingly at this.

"Yes. It took 24 years for the computer to successfully gather the genetic samples from a variety of alien sources and engineer me."

"Alien… sources?" Cell leaned forward, ever so gently stroking the side of Rowan's face, just for a moment.

"You need to be quiet and let me finish." He purred at her. He grinned as her face flushed at his touch, but he continued his story. "Alien sources. Earth is not the only habitable planet. Nor has it been isolated the entire time. As a matter of fact there are several aliens living on Earth, even as we speak. The man whose very existence was the purpose of my creation, Son Goku, is an alien, a species known as a Sayain. His own DNA is a part of my own, along with a few other species. "

"That explains so much!" Rowan suddenly burst out. "I mean, when I first asked you what you were all those years ago and you hesitated on alien, and now how strange you look. If you're comprised of so many different species…" She stopped as Cell's face came dangerously close to her own.

"If you interrupt me again, I'm going to have to silence you." He said with a sadistic grin. Rowan blushed, lowering her face away from his. She was silent.

"By the time I was finally completed, the good Doctor Gero had been killed. The computer that had created me, also gave me an immense wealth of knowledge, programed into my very being. By the time I finally emerged from my bio-tank, I was armed with everything I would ever need to succeed at the purpose I had been given." Rowan fidgeted again, but did not interrupt, hanging on to every word that Cell spoke.

"I was programed with not only the eventual goal of killing Son Goku on Dr Gero's behalf, but with the powerful hunger to obtain my completed form. The computer informed me, that the only way I could achieve my perfect form, was to absorb the androids number 17 and 18, two earlier models of Dr Gero's. These two androids had the specific power and genetic material that my unfinished body needed." Cell paused for a moment, watching as Rowan fought to keep her curiosity in check. His tail curled around him loosely.

"Unfortunately, when I emerged, the laboratory was mostly destroyed. The computer and my tank had survived because it was on a deeper level, safe from the destruction above. But my androids were gone. I proceeded to hunt them down, tracking their path of destruction that had left the world bleak and shattered."

"Eventually, after a great deal of time, I learned that both the androids and Son Goku had perished, and my burning desires would go unfulfilled. This was, of course, an immense blow to me. It is the very essence of my being, the very reason for my existence, to achieve my completed form."

"However, by sheer and utter luck, I discovered the source of the androids' destruction, a young man named Trunks, a half Sayain hybrid, had utilized a time machine, built by his mother, Bulma Briefs…"

"I know her!" Rowan blurted out. "Her father is the owner of the Capsule Corporation and considered to be one of the greatest minds of our generation…" Rowan was cut short by the very sudden and unexpected movement, as Cell's hands suddenly cradled her face, and he brought his lips to hers in a firm, but gentle kiss. Rowan's body tensed up at the sudden movement, but she didn't turn away, feeling his warmth, and breathing in his familiar earthy smell, mingling now with a natural musk.

Finally, Cell let her go, easing himself back to his crouching sit. Rowan knew she was blushing, and brushed her stray hairs behind her ear, looking away. When she finally looked back at him, he was grinning, that hungry look in his eye again.

"I wasn't finished yet." He purred at her.

"Sorry." She managed after a while, struggling to regain control. After a moment, she took a deep breath, and gestured for him to continue.

"As I was saying, Trunks had utilized a time machine, to travel into the past in order to warn the warriors of the Earth of the impending android attack. I did not hesitate when I learned of this, feeling the pull of my desire, and I liberated the time machine from Trunks. However there was a flaw in my plan. In my current form, I was far too large to fit inside the time machine without damaging the delicate console instruments. I was forced to regress, back into my larval form in order to use the machine."

"You came back in time?! You… You mean you're from the future?" Cell leaned close to her face again.

"You really want me to kiss you again, don't you?" His words had an immediate effect and she blushed deeply again, her cheeks turning scarlet and she looked down at her hands, struggling to hide her smile. Cell gently lifted her face to look at him, and he gave her a quick, gentle kiss on the nose before letting her go.

"Yes, Rowan, I am from the future. It would take 4 years for my body to reach its matured state again, 4 years I could either spend buried under ground, absorbing the nutrients of the world, or 4 years I could spend in relative comfort, absorbing the knowledge of the world. I chose the latter." Rowan looked like she would explode and he knew she wanted to pepper him with questions.

"However, as it turns out, there is a setback in this time line." He continued, ignoring her obvious discomfort. "For some reason I cannot figure out, the Cell of this time line has emerged, several years earlier than he should have and I was forced to initiate my evolution a few weeks earlier than I had planned. I refuse to let all my efforts go in vain, and lose my chance at obtaining my perfect form, by letting a different Cell absorb the androids before I do." Cell finally finished, giving it a moment for all he had said to sink in.

"You may speak freely now." He said with a small gesture.

"That monster on the TV was you? I mean, not you, but another you, the you of this time line?" Cell gave her a curt nod.

"That is correct."

"And you're from the future? A future where the androids Gero created destroyed the world?"

"Not completely, but life on Earth had changed dramatically."

"That's horrible! Gero sounds like a terrible man, creating monsters and machines to kill people." Cell frowned at this, the word monster cut him deeper than he had expected.

 _'Although it is true._ ' He thought to himself. _'If she knew the full extent of my actions, she would be truly horrified._ ' He recalled the countless number of people he had consumed.

"Is the time machine close?" Cell looked back at Rowan.

"Close?"

"Yeah. I mean, it must have been sheer luck that you ended up with me instead of anyone else. Other people probably wouldn't have reacted quite so generously to you so I'm guessing the time machine landed somewhere close…" She trailed off. Cell frowned.

"It wasn't luck that brought me to you, Rowan." He paused, considering the full extent of what he should and should not tell her.

"What?" She sounded truly surprised.

"In the future… When I was at my most vulnerable, after discovering the androids were gone, I… I met a rather remarkable woman who accepted me despite my terrifying appearance. She befriended me, and gave me comfort when I truly needed it." He lowered his head as he spoke, but watched Rowan's face from the corner of his 's mouth opened in a small and silent 'o' as the realization of what he was saying sunk in.

"You mean…" She gestured to herself.

"Yes. We were…" He hesitated, struggling to fully admit it to himself, let alone to her. "Lovers." He finally added. Rowan closed her mouth and stared at him for a long time.

"What happened?" She asked quietly. Cell suddenly felt small under her gaze.

"You… No, she was sick. She died from the fall out of the bombs that the army had used against the androids."

"I see." An awkward silence fell between them, with Rowan staring intently at Cell, mulling over everything she had learned. Cell had gone from being arrogant and proud, to small and sad.

"There is… Something else I should tell you about, Rowan." Cell finally began after the silence had stretched on for several minutes. He lifted his face back up, seeming to regain some of his certainty in the process.

"It's about your mother." Rowan's eyes widened at this.

"My Mother?"

"Yes… The computer gave me a huge amount of information, all the data Gero had collected on all his previous experiments, even those not relating to the androids. When he was first hunting down candidates for the android experiment, he stumbled across a strange woman with an incredible bio-signature that marked her as exceptional. Gero was a curious man, and he set out to capture her. She was not without her exceptional gifts, however, and she escaped shortly after she was captured, leaving Gero with only a small sample of her blood."

"Wait… what?"

"The DNA sample he had collected was more complex than any of the previous alien species he had discovered. He attempted to decode it, as he had done with the other alien species, hoping to add it to the collection that would eventually become me. However, it was too unusual and complex and he died before he could complete the decoding. He did however add the data to the computer, which eventually resulted in the information that the unknown species of alien, possessed some rather remarkable attributes, the most notable being the production of a very complex chemical compound that greatly increases their partners' energy during the act of sex." Rowan stared at Cell, in complete confusion and disbelief.

"Are you trying to tell me that… My mother… was an alien?" Cell leaned closer to her, looking her square in the eye.

"Yes." He said simply. "Although the effect was greatly diminished due to your… Her illness in the future, I can confirm for a fact, that the resulting boost in energy are none-the-less astounding."

"Wait, _**I'M**_ not entirely human? And my super power is being a pep-drink during sex? That just sounds ludicrous!" Cell smirked at her outburst.

"It does sound implausible." He conceded. "But it is the truth. Your natural scent, is also an aphrodisiac. Something I'm sure even you have noticed with your previous boyfriends." Cells' voice fell bitter as he spat the last few words.

"I always just thought guys were supposed to be that obsessed with sex. Like, it was just a guy thing." She replied in a small and stunned tone. Cell grinned.

"No my dear." Rowan sighed, and ran her fingers through her hair, loosening more strands from her plait, some that flicked into her face. Cell casually tucked them behind her ear again, the gentle touch catching Rowan off guard.

"Seru… I mean, Cell…" She began. He felt his face fall.

"You can keep calling me Seru, if you like." She stared at him with an unreadable mask, for a long moment.

"Is that what she called you?" She finally asked. He lowered his head slightly, as he remembered her.

"Yes. Seru is Cell, just in the dialect from the Southern Islands…"

"Where I was born, I know." Rowan frowned. Another awkward silence fell over them, the room seeming too small and the air, heavier.

"Seru, I'm not sure what you're expecting to happen…" Rowan began, "But, I'm not her. Not really, you know that, right?" He locked eyes with hers again.

"I never intended to confuse the two of you. You are both different people, although I… Uh…"

"You what?" The look she gave him then was deadly and full of ice.

"I… I still find myself attracted to you." He finally admitted meekly. Her face was unreadable for a while and he mentally berated himself for the sudden conflict that had erupted inside his own head. He was a killing machine, designed to be the ultimate being with the ultimate power and to be unstoppable. But he also couldn't help the way he felt drawn to Rowan. Her smell was intoxicating, and the power she could potentially give him was truly alluring, but it was more than that.

Cell looked at her, really looked at her. Saw the fullness of her lips, the intelligence in her bright grass-green eyes, the rich auburn of her unruly hair and the flush in her cheeks. He saw the woman with whom he had lived with for the past 4 years, the woman whose habits and personality quirks he knew so well, and he knew it was more than just the programming that drew him to her.

"Seru… What will you do now?" She asked softly. He hadn't realized he had been staring, and she looked embarrassed. He finally looked away, down at his monstrous 3 fingered hands.

"I'll track down the androids to become complete and the other Cell too. I'll absorb him, if I can."

"What happens if… If the other Cell gets to the androids first?" Cell scowled at the thought.

"He won't be strong enough to take on the androids yet. He will have to hunt, gather power by consuming the life energy of people. That will give me the advantage."

"Wait… Consuming… people? You eat _**people**_?" Rowan sounded truly horrified, and he regretted telling her that.

"I… In the future, I hunted people, absorbing their essence into my own; to gain the power I would need to absorb the androids."

"That's horrific! That's… Monstrous!" The horror and anger that twisted Rowan's face, stabbed at Cell and made him feel, for the first time in his life, ashamed of what he was. He quickly regained his composure, sweeping aside such thoughts.

"You thought so in the future too." He said quietly, his voice raw. "You… She stopped me, gave me an alternative source of power." Rowans face was so horrified at this revelation; Cell couldn't look her in the eye, and turned back to his hands.

"You… You forced her to sleep with you or you'd eat people?" Cell smiled wryly.

"No. I never forced her. It was her idea, and… And she enjoyed it." He added the last bit, thinking back to those special moments he had shared with her, so very long ago.

"I… I just can't even… I mean… What the hell… Damnit Seru!" She yelled his name, angry, conflicted and confused. "Do you expect me to just drop my pants for you too?! Just, throw myself at you to stop you eating people?" Cells' face fell flat, and he felt his anger flare at her outburst, but he kept it in check, staring intently at her.

"No. I should still be stronger than the other Cell. I shouldn't need to absorb any more people, or utilize your gifts to achieve my final form." He said flatly, hearing the growl of anger in his rasped voice. He stood up suddenly, his tail twitching in agitation. Rowan stood up too, glaring at him, but saying nothing.

"You should know, Rowan, that you might not like what I am, and what I plan to do, but even your disapproval won't stop me. I must achieve my perfection. It is my purpose."

"You and your purpose can go to hell." She said in a voice full of venom. She pointed to the door, her fury full and savage. Cell had never seen her so angry, and as he turned to leave, he noticed that he had never seen her energy glow so potently either. Perhaps there was more to the species that Gero didn't know.

"I won't be your toy, Cell." She snarled at him, folding her arms across her chest in an act of defiance. Even in his anger, he still couldn't help but appreciate the fire in her personality.

"Goodbye Rowan." He said, sadly as he leaned down to step out the door, closing it behind him.

Rowan stared at the door for several moments, until she heard his footsteps running down the gravel path. Then her resolve that had held her together so well finally broke, and she collapsed to the floor, crying harder than she ever had, since the death of her mother when she was only a child.

"Damnit, Seru… Why did you have to be such a monster?"

Cell stood on top of a building, surveying the city below. It was eerily empty, with stalled and empty cars in the streets and thousands of sets of empty clothes, some bearing blood splattered holes, some intact.

"He's been busy, I see." Cell said with a concerned frown. He had known the other Cell would hunt but to such a devastating extent in such a short time caused him concern. Cell sighed and closed his eyes, focusing his incredibly keen senses outwards.

The Z warriors had a hard time tracking down Cell, with his incredible Ki suppression making him almost impossible to detect. They relied on the news broadcasts and radio updates to track his location, but could never reach him in time, before he supressed his power and disappeared.

But Cell's senses were keener than theirs in this form, and he looked not for the energy of the other Cell, but for the energy of people. There were still a large number of people left in this city, scattered around the outside edges, the inside radius, already being drained of life. Cell focused harder, watching, waiting.

A sudden tiny blip of energy vanished, followed by another, and another.

"There you are." Cell said with a grin, leaping from the building with incredible ease and grace, and bounded off towards his prey.

He stopped outside a huge shopping complex, and frowned. There were only a few people left inside, hiding and scattered. This was a good hunting ground, and Cell felt his hunger well up. It had been a very long time for him, but hunting never lost its appeal. The glass doors were shattered, and clothes littered the floor, the only marker that suggested people had been here only moments ago.

Boutique shops lined each other, each with their glaringly bright signage. Small potted plants and benches arranged neatly around a centre fountain in the main plaza, with the glass domed ceiling filtering in natural light made people feel welcome, while cheery music quietly rained down from the speakers. Aside from the water pouring from the fish statue in the middle of the fountain, and the soft music, the huge building, was deathly silent.

Until a sudden blood curdling scream that quickly ended in a gargle erupted from somewhere up the escalators on the second floor, snaring Cell's attention. He jumped from the plaza floor to the second with remarkable ease, landing silently in a crouch, his tail flicking out behind him. He gave himself just a second to hone in on the energy as it was drained.

Cell got his first real look at the other Cell as he emerged from a boutique clothes store, stooped over in his stalker pose, his long tail hanging over his back like a scorpion. The other Cell froze as he spotted Cell, his head tilting in curiosity. Cell narrowed his eyes, studying the Other Cell. They looked very much the same, only this Other Cell carried himself entirely like an animal. His eyes were cold, and full of hunger. Cell stood to his full height; mentally bracing himself for what he knew was coming next. The Other Cell remained crouched down, his tail quivering as it hung over his back, his arms out to the sides with his clawed fingers curled.

The Other Cell roared suddenly, a terrifying growling hiss, showing his large fangs. Cell scowled, and slid into his fighting stance, turning his side to his opponent and widening his feet.

The Other Cell was incredibly fast, getting the full benefit of power from his crouched legs, as he sprang forward with a snarling growl, arms stretched out like a lions' pounce. This surprised Cell, but he took advantage of the wide opening, delivering a powerful uppercut to the Other Cell's jaw, sending him flying up.

Cell leapt up after him, elbowing the Other Cell between the shoulders, which exacted a terrible hissing grunt as the Other Cell crashed into the floor, then through it with the power of Cell's attack. Cell quickly jumped from the second floor, landing smoothly in the plaza below. The other Cell lifted himself from the crater, sending more of the rubble that had covered him, cascading to the floor. The other Cell glared savagely at Cell, his tail whipping around in a show of anger. He was still stooped forward.

The Other Cell's body glowed gold, before erupting into a flaming aura, sending the dust and debris that had settled on his skin flying away. He roared again, bursting through the air straight at Cell.

Cell deflected the outstretched claws, forcing the Other Cell's attack away. Cell used his free hand, delivering a powerful punch to the Other Cell's beaked face, sending his head backwards in a spray of purple blood. Cell followed up with a kick to the side, watching as the Other Cell went flying through a nearby coffee shop with a huge burst of glass and wall-debris.

Cell waited a moment for the dust to settle, frowning to himself. This Other Cell wasn't a warrior, he was an animal.

 _'He emerged far too early._ ' Cell mused to himself. _'He has the power and he has the insatiable hunger, but he doesn't have any of the computers' programming. He doesn't have the techniques or the fighting skills. He is little more than an animal.'_ Cell watched the destroyed coffee shop, feeling the energy of the Other Cell burning even stronger in his rage.

The sudden severity and power of the energy blast that burst from the wreckage surprised Cell, who had assumed the Other Cell lacked the mental focus to generate an energy blast. He managed to block the attack, but it exploded, forcing him backwards, through a wall, out of the shopping complex and into the streets. Cell snarled, annoyed that he had been caught off guard and slipped back into his fighting pose.

He could sense the Other Cell charging at him, but too late, he realized that it was from underground. Other Cell erupted out of the road behind Cell, savagely lunging at him, claws raking deep gashes across his face and chest.

Cell snarled and kicked up, throwing the Other Cell over him as he rolled to his feet. Other Cell landed on all fours, his tail thrashing over his head, his leathery beak curled back in a snarl. Cell touched his fingers to the deep gashes on his face, felt the flowing blood and snarled back. It would only take a moment for the wounds to heal, but it made his fury burn, his own energy erupting into a fiery aura around him.

The other Cell lunged again, this time stopping just short of Cell's elbow, dodging to the side. His tail lashed out at Cell's feet, tripping him and causing him to stumble. Other Cell lashed out with his clawed hand again, aiming for Cell's throat. Cell dodged it, leaping backwards, cupping his hands to his side.

"Kamehame…" He snarled, landing smoothly on the pavement. The other Cell roared in defiance, arms stretched out as he leaned forward.

"HAAA!" Cell roared, forcing a huge amount of energy into his attack. The other Cell leapt out of the way, the blast rushing down the street in a blinding flash of blue, erupting in the heart of the city in a monstrous blast that left only a monstrous crater and a cloud of debris and dust to rain down on the two Cells.

The other Cell leapt again, feigning his attacks, and slashing at Cell. Cell blocked the attacks, retaliating with punches and kicks. The Other Cell learnt quickly, ducking out of the strikes, and suddenly head butting Cell in the gut. Cell staggered backwards, reeling from the immense amount of power the Other Cell had channelled into his attack.

The Other Cell didn't give Cell a chance to regain his breath, throwing a ball of golden energy at him and lunging. Cell lifted his arms to his face, blocking the energy attack that exploded against his arms, but he was too slow to stop the Other Cell's clawed hand driving into the softer flesh of his orange ribbed belly. 

Cell roared, as the pain erupted. He hammered the other Cell in his exposed back, and leapt back as the other Cell collapsed to the floor.

Cell looked down, inspecting the wound. It was savage. The force of a punch, but with the hand outstretched, driving the claws deep into his flesh, tearing at his vulnerable spot. That had hurt.

The other Cell was back on his feet in seconds, staring with a grin at Cell. He lifted his bloodied hand to his face, licking his claws. Cell snarled, disgusted.

The other Cell leaned into his predatory stance, his tail flicking out behind him menacingly. Cell's eyes narrowed, dodging a sudden strike from the needle tip tail. He bounded backwards, as the Other Cell chased him, trying to stab him with the tail tip.

"I can play your game too!" Cell roared as he dodged an attack, lashing his own tail out. The other Cell seemed to realize the sudden danger, flipping backwards out of the way.

Cell and Other Cell locked stares, each waiting. Cell's senses warned him of Piccolo's impending approach and snarled. He had hoped to finish off the Other Cell quickly, before the Z warriors could arrive. He knew their fighting would attract their attention, something that simply couldn't be helped.

Other Cell showed no signs of noticing, his attention focused entirely on Cell. Cell wondered if the Z warriors could tell if there were 2 Cells, or if all they could sense was a huge pile of Cell's energy in one place.

His loss of focus as his mind wandered cost him dearly, as the Other Cell attacked, landing in front of Cell on his hands, flipping and landing a powerful double kick to Cell's chest. Cell grunted from the force of the attack, stopping himself from crashing through a building on the opposite side of the street. He quickly regained his composure, managing to block a follow up flurry of swipes.

The Other Cell roared as he slashed at Cell's armoured arms. Cell slashed out with his tail, smashing Other Cell in the side, sending him flying. Cell bounded after him, intending to end the fight, but Other Cell rolled out of the way as Cell's tail shattered the road where Other Cell had just been.

Other Cell roared his frustration, and Cell smirked. It might have been deadly, but Cell couldn't deny he was enjoying the battle.

Other Cell blasted off from the ground, his fiery aura burning bright. Cell met his attack and parried with his own. Cell landed a blow to the face and chest, Other Cell landed another slash across Cell's face.

Cell's senses fired again, and he knew he was out of time. He landed a sudden knee to Other Cell's gut, causing him to double over. Cell poured his power into a kick, sending Other Cell flying way up into the sky. Cell quickly suppressed his energy, and ducked into an office building. He ran up the stairs, putting his back against the wall, and peering slyly out the window.

Piccolo arrived, focused entirely on the Other Cell. Cell watched, waiting for an opportunity as Piccolo and Other Cell battled. Piccolo was thrown by the other Cell's savagery and lack of focus and Cell smirked as Other Cell landed a few slashing strikes to Piccolos face and chest. But Other Cell simply didn't have the power to overcome the newly merged and seasoned warrior of the Super Namekian.

Even if Piccolo managed to kill the Other Cell, it would work out well for Cell. If Piccolo believed he had defeated Cell, then he would be free to hunt down the androids without fear of being hunted himself. Although, he preferred if he could gain the chance to absorb the Other Cell, knowing that amount of power would be a welcome feast.

He thought of Rowan then, and he felt his chest tighten. She had been so mad at him when he had last seen her, and although that saddened him, he didn't regret his decisions. He may be a monster, but it was simply how he was created to be, and he would not regret that, least he begin to regret his very existence.

Cell snapped back to the battle, just in time to see Other Cell use the Solar Flare technique, which truly stunned Cell. He didn't think Other Cell could use such a technique, and that he had emerged too early. Cell hid his face behind the wall, avoiding taking the blinding full burst of light.

"This is curious." Cell muttered to himself, as he thought about the Other Cell. He stayed where he was, waiting for a few minutes for Piccolo to finally leave in an outburst of roaring energy. Piccolo was angry.

Cell considered his options. Other Cell was stronger than Cell had original anticipated. The two had been surprisingly evenly matched in power. Other Cell's fighting technique could only be called primal, but he had shown a remarkable ability to learn and adapt accordingly. It had been harder and harder for Cell to land attacks towards the end, Other Cell predicting and learning his moves.

He considered hunting. It would be an easy way to amass a great deal of energy in a short amount of time. But the amount he would need to match Other Cell and his insatiable hunger would be exponentially high. That option presented a great deal or risk.

He considered just going for the androids. They were being surprisingly quiet and there was no information on them, with the media obsessed with Other Cell's vicious slaughtering rampage. It would be extremely difficult to find them unless they started fighting someone else, or started destroying things.

That left his third option, which was Rowan. If he could convince her to sleep with him, while she was in perfect health, then he knew he could obtain more than enough power to easily overcome the Other Cell, the Z warriors and the androids.

Whilst the thought of such a monstrous amount of power was extremely tempting, convincing her to sleep with him would be a truly challenging task. She had made her point glaringly obvious to him, and he had no intention of forcing her.

His mind raced as he pondered his next course of action. He knew he had already decided, but he still thought about the other options while his mind churned in turmoil.

"I need you, Rowan." He said softly to himself.

 **-Thank you so much for taking the time in reading this. I hope you are enjoying the story so far. Please leave me a review, to let me know. -**


	4. IV

**Just a small warning, this chapter contains some mature and adult themes.**

Rowan awoke with a throbbing ache in her skull. She groaned, slowly picking herself up from the floor into a sitting position. She groggily recalled the previous evening, and everything that had been revealed to her. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and gently massaging her temples. She had cried until she had completely exhausted herself, collapsing into a dreamless sleep on the floor.

Gingerly, she made her way to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water, glancing out the window. It was abysmally black, the only light filtering in from the few stars that peeked through the dark clouds. It was still and quiet and it felt like the hours before dawn. She looked at the little chrome clock that hung on the wall above her desk.

"4:32." She mumbled to herself. She downed the water, pouring another. She felt a little better, and she collapsed on the couch, sipping the water and trying to figure out what she should do. She rolled her head to the side, bringing the cracked open shell of Cell's larval form, still sitting in the middle of the floor, into view. Rowan stared at it as she thought about everything she had learned.

"Damn him." She muttered, more sad than angry. She flicked the TV on with a quick flick of the remote. The only thing that seemed to adorn each channel was a variety of news broadcasts, each warning of the Monster attacks, and tracking the trail of devastation, and predicting the next towns and cities to be hit and prepare evacuations.

"Oh my god…" She gasped as the expected death toll had reached into the millions. She leaned forward, staring intently at the map, revealing the scope and severity of Cells' attack. He had wiped out two cities and dozens of towns and villages that peppered the North Western area of the huge Spice District. He was slowly heading east. As the news reel began to repeat itself again, the list of towns that were advised to evacuate flashed up on the screen, Rowan let out a small gasp.

"No… Seru will stop him…" She said quietly, trying to reassure herself as the name of Sumac City appeared on the long list. A horrible, creeping thought snuck into her mind then, the possibility that the Cell she knew… Would be the one to be absorbed. That thought caused her to turn the TV off, and bury her face in her hands. She did not cry, but the thought had a heavy weight to it and she turned her attention back to the empty shell.

She realized, as horrified as she was at his revelations, she didn't hate him, and the thought of him being killed was a truly terrible one.

"No, he won't lose." She said with resolution after a while. She had witnessed his cool intellect, time and time again over the past four years, had seen him overcome problems and scheme and plan. He was smart, very smart, and she hoped he would be smart enough to avoid being eaten. He had assured her, that he had the advantage over the Other Cell, and she could only hope that what he said was true.

A sudden piercing shrill noise startled her, and it took her a second to register that it was the phone. Rowan collected herself together as she rushed to answer it.

"Hello, this is Rowan speaking." She said in her habitual greeting.

"Rowan! It's Mary." Marys' voice sounded shrill and slightly panicked. "Have you seen the news?! There is a monster attacking towns and eating people! It's horrible! And it's headed this way! Look Darl, me and my boys are packing up and getting out of town. We're gonna head to the West Coast, away from the path of the monster, at least until the army can kill the damned thing. I want you to come with us." Rowan listened with a tight frown on her face, clenching her free hand into a fist, her mind racing.

"Rowan, darl?" Mary snapped Rowan back to her conversation.

"Uh… Yeah, I guess that would be the smartest thing to do." Rowan conceded.

"Good. Pack up what you can, Darl, we plan on leaving at lunch time. Just head to the café before then and we'll pick you up there."

"Thanks Mary." Rowan listened to Mary end the phone call with a resolute click. Rowan put the phone down, staring blankly ahead while her mind raced. Running suddenly seemed like a really good idea.

"I wonder if Seru will be able to find me." She mused. She grit her teeth and frowned, not really sure if she actually wanted to see him again. Was he any different than the Other Cell that was sweeping across the country consuming everyone in his path? Cell had admitted he had feasted on people in his original time line, but would he really do it here too?

Rowan ignored the thought, looking around her house. She had a lot to do, if she was going to be ready in time. She sighed, and began, mentally listing off each task before she applied herself to any actions.

By the time the sun had risen, Rowan had already picked up all her dirty washing, running it through the machine, and hanging it up on the line outside. The clouds had cleared by the time the sun broke over the horizon, and it promised to be a cool but sunny day. She had turned to her dishes next, making sure they were all packed away. She prepared a back pack, with a water bottle, some muesli bars, a blanket, a basic first aid kit, her laptop after ensuring it was fully charged, and a spare change of clothes. Everything else in the house was packed away neatly.

Finally, she brought in the washing, folding it and putting it away, except for a single sheet that she used to cover the split shell of Cell pushing that to the side wall. That task saddened her as she turned her thoughts back to her old friend, remembering the little creature. She forced them from her mind, and headed for the bathroom, enjoying a hot shower, the last she might enjoy for a while.

She shouldered her backpack, and headed outside. It took her several minutes to disconnect the water and electric systems, as she had only done it once before. After that, she activated the tiny console on the side of the house, punching in her pin number and activating the Capsule technology, watching as her house, and everything she owned, collapsed into a tiny metal capsule the size of her thumb. She slid the capsule into a small metal case that secured it for transport, sliding that into her back pocket.

With a last hesitant and regretful sigh, Rowan turned down the gravel road, realizing that she was for the second time, on the run for her life.

Mary was running late. Rowan considered heading to her house, but decided against it, settling on the wooden steps of the porch that led to the stylized café. She stared out down the street, feeling her stomach tighten. All the stores were closed. There were no cars parked in the streets, not tables and chairs set outside the dinner across the road, no brightly coloured chalkboard signs on the pavement to welcome people inside. The entire town was deserted, and it was eerie.

The minutes stretched on until with a resolute sigh, Rowan stood up, brushing the dust from her jeans and headed off down the road, towards where Marys' house was. She had barely walked a few dozen steps when she saw the minivan crest the hill, driving into town. It slowed down as it spotted Rowan, and the side door opened up. Mary's husband, Peter and one of her 3 sons were sitting in the front; the other two boys and Mary were in the seats in the back, squished in amongst a huge collection of stuff.

"Hey Rowan hun, I'm so sorry we're late, but packing was a nightmare." Mary said with an exhausted sigh. She had deep shadows under her eyes, and her hair was frayed, sticking out in all directions. She looked exhausted. Mary gestured for Rowan to climb in, squeezing over to make space on the seat. Rowan was hesitant, not exactly eager to spend the next day or two travelling in such confined spaces. But she stepped into the van anyway, squeezing down besides Mary, closing the door behind her. It was a long and bumpy ride, but Rowan participated in Marys' attempts at small talk in an attempt to pass the time

.

The afternoon stretched on, slowly painting the sky in golden hues as the sun dipped below the horizon. Finally, the van slowed as they entered a township. It was larger than Sumac city, although not by much.

"Oh no..." Mary gasped as she looked out the window.

"It's Coriander Town." Peter said with a grim face. "It's been hit by that damned thing." Rowan leaned over to look out the front window. Rowan could only stare in horror, at the crumpled piles of clothes, some catching on the breeze and blowing through the streets, almost like ghosts silently gliding across the road. Cars were everywhere. Some had their doors opened with clothes falling out of the seats, others had their windows smashed. There was one with the driver's side window shattered, and blood splattering the inside of the windscreen.

Mary's youngest son, Tom, began to cry, and she pulled him into her lap, shushing him gently. Rowan couldn't stop staring at the blood splattered windscreen, and the image burned into her mind, even after Peter navigated the parked cars and managed to slip out of the town.

Everyone sat in silence for a long while after that, watching as they passed the occasional empty car. Each person sat in silence with a different expression on their face. Mary and Tom were afraid. Peter and the oldest boy, Jon, were angry. Rowan just felt grim, worried and contemplative. The van slowed down again as Peter turned off the main road, pulling over into a small rest area. There was a public toilet here, with a picnic table and benches under a tree and a large, grassy clearing.

Rowan helped Mary with dinner while Peter de-capsuled two large and comfortable dome tents in the grassy clearing. Dinner was a simple, but satisfying affair, consisting of hearty vegetables and some pork sausages in a thick soup with a couple of slices of buttered bread. Conversation was minimal, with the reality of the situation still hanging over them. It was one thing to see the devastation on the news, but it was another entirely, to see the empty clothes with your own eyes, and know that the slaughter was truly real.

Mary, Rowan and the young Tom shared one tent, while Peter, Jon and Dillan shared the other. Rowan stared up at the domed roof of the tent, wide awake and knowing she would not sleep tonight. Despite how long the day had been, she couldn't stop thinking of the blood splattered windshield. She wondered who had been driving, and if they had seen their end coming. She could only imagine how truly terrifying it must have been for the victims, to be stalked by a ruthless monster, only to have that needle tipped tail pierce their flesh and drain their bio essence.

Rowan shuddered, not wanting to think about it. She closed her eyes, trying to force herself to get some sleep, but it was pointless.

A sudden ruffling of the bushes on the other side of the clearing caused her body to panic, the hairs standing on end and her heart to race. She froze, listening intently. There was a gentle breeze, but this wasn't the light ruffle of leaves, this was something heavy moving through the undergrowth.

She heard the sound again, moving slowly, surely, around the camp site clearing. Rowan swallowed the lump in her throat, looking across the tent at Mary and Tom. Tom was asleep, hugging his mothers' chest, her arms around him protectively. Both were fast asleep. Rowan forced herself to breathe, to think.

 _It's probably nothing._ She tried to tell herself. _An animal, attracted to the smell of food. Maybe one of those cute little dragons that live in the area? Or even a dinosaur. It doesn't necessarily have to be one of the Cells…_ She strained, keeping every fibre of her being tense, but motionless as she listened. She heard the footsteps this time, carefully moving over the dried leaves.

 _Okay, this is bad._ She stared over at Mary and Tom again, wondering if she should wake them. _No_ She decided. _I can handle this… Maybe I can lure them away from Mary? But what if it's Seru and not the other Cell? He won't hurt them. But what if it is the other Cell? Will he kill me, or does he have the same pre-programmed instinct as well?_

Rowan heard the footsteps moving again, closer, this time on the grass. She heard the very faint raspy grumble, and she was certain now, that it was one of them.

"Seru?" She whispered, barely, audible even to herself. The footsteps stopped and it felt like an eternity, before she heard his voice, a whisper, no louder than her own.

"Rowan." She finally let the breath she had been holding out and quickly sat up, trying to be as quiet as possible, she unzipped the tent. But no matter how slow she went, the noise sounded deafening.

"Mmm, Rowan, hun is that you?" Mary mumbled, lifting her head.

"Uh, yeah Mary. I'm just going to the bathroom. I'm sorry I woke you." Mary mumbled something in reply, before shifting her weight a little and settling down again with a heavy sigh. Rowan quickly stepped out and zipped the tent back up, looking around for Cell.

She could barely make him out; his natural camouflage was so good. He was stooped low, covering up the orange segments of his abdomen, hidden under the shadows of the tree. His eyes glinted pink in the star light. He smiled at her, and beckoned for her to follow him and she quickly jogged after him, as he turned and headed into the forest.

He led her a small distance away from the camp, to where a huge tree had fallen down long ago, creating a small clearing. He perched himself on a boulder opposite the huge downed tree trunk. Rowan clambered up onto the trunk, feeling the warm moss under her fingers. The trunk of the tree was huge, and it was wider than a small car.

The stars were bright, but it was hard for her to see him clearly, and all she could do was stare at the pin pricks of light reflecting from his nocturnal eyes. She shivered, wearing only her thin pyjamas. There might have been very little breeze, but the air was cool and she felt her teeth begin to chatter. Cell lifted his palm out, surprising her as a sudden ball of golden light appeared in his hand. He tossed it up casually above them, and it hung suspended in the air.

It was not a brilliantly bright light, although it did illuminate the clearing nicely. It was however, warm and she could feel it take the chill out of the air, stopping her from freezing. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust, and as she looked at Cell, she gasped in shock.

Cell's face was crusted with dried purple blood from several huge gashes, and one eye looked swollen and tender. The gashes already looked like they were days old, closed and healing. There was another wound in the vulnerable orange of his abdomen that had also leaked a lot of blood, but it too looked mostly healed.

Her anger towards him had been a truly terrifying thing. It had flared and clawed at her insides ever since he told her the truth. But when she looked at him, saw him injured, saddened and caked in his own blood, her anger disappeared instantly, replaced only with concern.

She couldn't stop herself, sliding off the tree trunk and rushing over to where he sat on the boulder, taking his face in her hands as she inspected the wounds.

"Seru… What happened? You look terrible." His hands grabbed her wrists gently lowering them away from his face.

"It's nothing. I'm already healed. I just haven't had a chance to wash yet." He grumbled. Her face fell and she looked ready to start yelling, but she kept herself in check.

"Did Cell do this to you?" She asked quietly, her face full of concern. This surprised Cell somewhat, expecting her to be angry, not full of worry.

"Yes. He is unusual. He is more animal than warrior, and his fighting techniques are savage and primal. He was unpredictable, and I must admit, as shameful as it is, that I was unable to best him before Piccolo interrupted our fight."

"Piccolo? Who's Piccolo?" Cell frowned and sighed.

"He's a Namekian warrior, another alien." He started. "He has been on Earth for a long while. Originally he tried to conquer the world, but after he was defeated by Goku he now chooses to fight to protect Earth. He is a seasoned warrior, and his power is worthy of respect, even if he is an annoying irritant." Cells face fell into a scowl and he looked to the side in annoyance as he spoke the last few words.

Rowan couldn't help but smile at this.

"So… Does that mean Cell got away? Can you still beat him?" Rowan asked carefully. Cell turned back to face her, looking her in the eye.

"Yes he got away, No I cannot beat him in a straight up battle. He has since consumed a monstrous amount of energy, and I no longer carry the advantage." Rowan stared at Cell for a long time, studying his face. She knew it must have cost his pride dearly to admit his weakness, even to her. Although she wasn't a fool either.

She knew why he had come back to her now. He needed her. But could she give herself to him freely? She stared intently at the savage wounds across his face, and she reached her own resolute answer, although it was still hard to accept it.

"Have you eaten anyone, Seru?" She asked quietly. Cell frowned.

"No." It was a small answer, but she could hear the truth in it. She could hear the bitterness in it to. Cell matched her gaze, and the two sat in silence for a long while.

Rowan could feel the warmth of the energy from the small orb above her, and as she stood there, on the mossy, leaf covered ground, staring intently at the bloodied creature that was sitting perched on a rock, no more than a foot in front of her, she slowly came to accept things. Cell was a monster. He had been created with a terrible purpose, and an insatiable hunger to accompany it. But, he had also been her friend, shown her kindness and given her companionship for the past four years. Years that had been difficult on her as she had struggled to live with the fear of her fathers' wrath. She wondered for a moment, how things would be if Cell hadn't shown up when he had.

She pushed the thoughts from her mind, absently tucking the loose strands of hair behind her ear. A hungry light flashed in Cells' eyes, and she couldn't help the sudden flush of colour to her cheeks. She looked away from him, breaking the moment.

"Come on, let's get you cleaned up. Your face is a wreck." She finally said. Cells' eyes narrowed, but he smirked, slipping from the boulder.

Rowan followed Cell, walking in his footsteps, as he led her through the underbrush to back to the camp. Cell stayed at the edge of the clearing, the golden ball of energy that had been following them, disappeared with a fizzing sound as the focus Cell had over it, disappeared. He stooped low, and almost completely vanished as his mottled green blended in with the undergrowth perfectly. A hand to the face hid his distinctive beak. Rowan walked back to the tent, glancing back at the two pin prick eyes before she unzipped the tent, crawling in.

She apologized to Mary who stirred again, but barely even registered the disturbance before falling back to sleep again. Rowan grabbed her backpack, and slid back outside, zipping the tent back up. She waited a moment, listening, and smiling as she heard Mary's snores, before she finally headed back across the clearing to Cell.

He led her in a different direction this time, the two walking in silence for several minutes. Finally, he stopped at the edge of a small creek. It was barely knee deep, and Rowan could jump over it easily, but the water was crystal clear, and running gently down the slight incline of the hill.

Rowan unslung her backpack and knelt down to rummage through it. She gave Cell a smile of thanks as he generated another ball of warm energy to hover over them. He turned to the water, squatting down and splashing the cold water on his face.

Rowan pulled out the small wash cloth she had packed, before heading over to Cell, placing her hand on his shoulder. He turned to face her, as she knelt on the leaf-strewn ground in front of Cell. She dipped the cloth in the icy cold water of the creek, soaking it, before she wrung it out. Gently, she dabbed the cloth at Cell's face, wiping away the blood. The gashes were mostly closed, but she could still see just how brutally the other Cell had attacked.

Cell sat on his haunches, his eyes focused entirely on Rowans' as she dedicated herself to her task. Her hand was gentle as she held one side of his face while the other wiped away the dirt and blood. When her cloth was dirty, she turned back to the water, rinsing it out, and repeating the process.

In the dim, golden light of the energy ball, with her focused expression and small, concerned frown, she looked to him, truly remarkable.

Cell lifted his hand suddenly to Rowans' face, and she started. She hadn't been expecting the sudden touch of his hand against her cheek. Without warning, he leant forward, pressing his mouth to hers in a tender kiss. He let her mouth go, only for a moment. Her face flushed with colour and she bit her lip, but she looked away, down at the bloodied cloth in her hand. He let his hand drop away from her face. They sat in awkward silence for a moment, before she turned back to the water, rinsing the cloth out again, and turning back to his face.

"You really shouldn't travel in a group." Cell said conversationally. Rowan looked him in the eye as she wiped the last of the blood from his bony cheek.

"Why not?" She asked, rinsing the cloth again.

"He can sense the energy of people. The more people, the brighter the energy will appear. He is attracted to dense populations of people, and is more likely to attack a group than an individual."

"And you know this because of experience?" Rowan asked, unable to completely mask the bitterness in her voice. Cell frowned.

"Yes. I only say this for your benefit Rowan. I don't want you to fall victim to him. He is an animal, running almost entirely on instinct. I doubt he would hesitate to attack you, if he saw you."

"You think he'd attack me? I was wondering…" Rowan's voice trailed off.

"I'm actually not sure. I don't know if the attraction to you is instinctual or not. It could be clever genetic programming. Or it might not. I don't actually know. Either way, it's safer to assume the worst with him." Cell said with a slight hint of colour to his cheeks. Rowan grinned as she wrung out the cloth.

"Stand up for a minute, please." She said, as she herself stood up. Cell obliged, watching her as she set to work on the dried blood from the wound in his belly. She put her free hand on his side to give her leverage as she worked. At least she didn't have to look him in the eyes this time. He was too tall when he stood up to his full height like this. She barely came up to his shoulders when she stood up straight.

"So you don't know if you're attracted to me, or my power, is what you're saying." She said after a while, resuming their earlier conversation.

"Hmm. Not quite. I know I am attracted to you for more than just your blood. But I don't know if the computer is responsible my original attraction. As in, if it's a genetic thing that stopped me killing you in the future, or if it was just because of the data I had on your mother." Rowan stopped cleaning the blood from Cell, and looked up at him with a strange expression on her face. He looked down at her, trying to read her.

"You… You were going to kill me?" She asked softly. Cell's face was grim as he thought about the Church, so many years ago.

"I was hunting when I stumbled upon you in the future. Your smell… Her smell," He corrected himself, "gave me pause, and I instead studied her from the shadows, until I could figure out what had stopped me. When I realized finally what it was, she had already discovered me. I no longer had the element of surprise, which was how I preferred to hunt and my desire to harm her was gone." Cell had lifted his head, looking up while he recalled his memories.

"And she stopped you killing people?" Rowan asked. Cell lowered his gaze back to hers, her face was still unreadable.

"She proposed the deal. I accepted it." He said simply.

"And that's it? You haven't killed anyone since?" Cell frowned.

"I honoured my arrangement with her. I did not consume anyone, while she lived." Rowan frowned.

"But then she died."

"Yes. And then she died." He said it simply, but his voice was full of a rawness Rowan hadn't heard before. She felt saddened, and she turned back to the blood that had settled between the ridges of his orange segments. She busied herself trying to clean it out. She didn't want to ask Cell what he did after she died. She didn't want to know.

"Seru, did you love her?" She asked quietly, after a long while. She didn't look up at him, felt his belly rumble as he sighed loudly.

He didn't answer though, and after a long silence, she finally decided she was done cleaning the blood, and she went to the water to rinse out the cloth. She stood up and after a while, she turned to look him in the face. He had his face turned towards the sky, his eyes were cold and hard, and his beak mouth was curled in a deep frown.

"Sorry, that was cruel of me to ask." She said softly. He closed his eyes for a moment, regaining his composure, before turning his gaze back to hers.

His hand found the side of her face, and he gently stroked her cheek with his thumb. She blushed again, unable to stop herself. He lowered his face to hers slowly, closing his eyes as he kissed her tenderly.

Despite the huge conflict of emotion, she couldn't' deny she didn't enjoy the gentle warmth of his lips against hers, and she found herself returning the kiss. His hand moved from her cheek to the back of her head, pulling her into a deeper kiss. Her hands found their way to his chest, and his other hand snaked around her lower back.

It was a tender kiss, gentle and full of unspoken emotion. He finally let her mouth go, staring at her through half-lidded eyes. She couldn't stop herself from smiling and licking her lips. He tasted, surprisingly good.

He still held her in his embrace, feeling the warmth of her body against his own.

"Seru…" She began. He grunted in protest, kissing her again softly.

"Seru, wait a sec." She said annoyed, but without any real force behind it.

"What?" He kissed the top of her head, faintly smelling her strawberry shampoo, mingling with her natural smell.

"I have to tell you something, it's… It's kind of embarrassing." She mumbled. He hesitated, not wanting to lose the moment, but he was curious and he finally let her go.

"What is it?" He was genuinely intrigued. She blushed, struggling to look him in the eye.

"Well.. I'm um… I… Well… I've never actually gone all the way with a guy before." Her admission surprised Cell immensely.

"But you used to stay over at their houses." She shrugged, running her fingers through her hair and fidgeting.

"I used to fool around with them and stuff, but they always seemed so pushy about sex and so I was never really comfortable." She seemed so small, like a blushing teenager than a woman grown.

"Oh." He managed after a while. He thought about this revelation, thinking back to the future Rowan, and how she had been so at ease with sex, so experienced. It had been little more than business for her when she sold her body for the things she needed to survive. He looked at the much younger Rowan in front of him, she looked almost ashamed.

She was 21 now, a woman grown. She had dated a few men in the four years he had known her, although none of them had lasted long, he admitted. Still, he had assumed when she came home the morning after a date, smelling strongly of her arousing scent that she had in fact had sex. But he had never asked what had happened. His own jealousy would stop him, and he would ignore it and move on.

Cell could only stare at Rowan for a while, still reeling from her surprise admission. She looked down, hiding her face, and her obvious embarrassment.

"It doesn't… well… It doesn't really change anything, Rowan." Cell finally said. She still had her head bowed. He lifted his hand to her chin, gently lifting her face up. He used his free hand to brush the loose strands of her hair behind her ear, and lowered his face to hers, very gently brushing his lips against hers. He could feel her breath against his sensitive skin, and was surprised when she kissed his bottom lip, gently sucking on it.

The reaction his body had from that act was electric, and he felt his blood heat and his belly tighten. He kissed her then, passionately, and hungrily, pulling her into his embrace. She snaked her arms around his shoulders then, deepening the kiss with relish, accepting that she was giving herself to him.

The light from the golden orb vanished as Cell lost his focus. She didn't need the extra warmth right now anyway, he would keep her warm.

One of his hands wandered down her side, pausing at the belted jeans. She moaned softly into his mouth as they kissed, something that aroused him greatly.

He broke the kiss looking down while he unbelted her jeans. He slid one of his arms around her back, pulling her hungrily back into a kiss. His other hand slid under her jeans, finding the warm mound of flesh.

He employed all the techniques that the future Rowan had shown him, finding her groans of pleasure incredibly arousing. He finally stopped, sliding his hand from her pants, and breaking their kiss. He licked his fingers slowly, savouring the taste, and the deep flush of colour that spread across Rowans' face. He looked around quickly, surveying the area. The ground was mostly hard dirt littered with pebbles and dried pine needles. It would also be damp from the creek. He considered a tree, but they were ever greens with unpleasant bark.

Instead, Cell cupped his wings around his back, pulling Rowan down on top of him as he rolled onto his back. She gave a small yelp of surprise, but otherwise, didn't protest. He pulled her into another hungry kiss, one hand sliding under her jeans again, grabbing her rear firmly. She sat up in protest and he grinned, letting her rear go, and instead, sliding both his hands up under her shirt.

Her breasts were fuller and softer than the Rowan of the future, and Cell took great delight in their tenderness. Rowan moaned softly, her hands on his wrists as he teased her.

Finally she forced his hands away and she leaned forward, kissing him again. He pulled her jeans down, and she broke the kiss, to stand up, and quickly pull off her clothes, until she was naked in the star light. It might have been dark, but Cell could see every detail of her clearly.

Despite her arousal, she seemed nervous, as she straddled his hips. He lifted a hand to her face, stroking her cheek. She hugged his hand tenderly.

"This may hurt." He said quietly. She nodded gently, letting him guide her face back down to his own. He shifted his hips, finding where he needed to be. He kissed her tenderly, stroking her hair with one hand, while his other rested on her hip. He hesitated.

Rowan rolled her hips, forcing him to slide inside. She gasped, breaking their kiss. Cell groaned, feeling the immense tightness. He was afraid to move, giving her time to adjust. He could see her face tense as she tried to adjust to the pain.

Finally, she leaned forward, and he kissed her again, as gently as he could, he began to move. He felt her intake of breath as he slid out then back in. He could smell her arousal, as potent as it was, and her tightness, combined with how it had been so long; he knew he wouldn't last long.

Rowan began to move with him, rolling her hips to meet each of his thrusts with one of her own. She buried her face against his neck, and he held her tightly. She groaned against his neck, but he couldn't' tell if it was in pain or pleasure. He regretted his body for just a moment, knowing that he wasn't the best partner for a first time. He was not small and even though he was trying not to hurt her, he really couldn't help it.

He held her tightly as he climaxed, groaning as the intense pleasure made him tremble and all but paralysed him. He could feel his body reacting to her gift more violently than it ever had. His energy exploded outwards, in an uncontrollable burst. Cell held Rowan tightly to his chest to protect her from the blast as he fought to regain control over himself. 

Finally, his golden aura died down and vanished, and he lay where he was, breathing heavily. He was still reeling, feeling his energy still rising rapidly and he fought to keep it contained inside his body. Rowan lifted her head up, her face flushed with pleasure and pain. She looked around them and broke into a grin.

"I take it you enjoyed that." She said softly. Cell managed to roll his face to the side, seeing the accidental destruction he had caused. He had created a clearing a good 100 feet in radius, toppling over the trees and stripping the land. There was no sign of the creek.

"Oops." He managed, still short of breathe. He turned his attention back to Rowan who leaned down to his face and gave him a gentle kiss. He let his head fall back to the ground as he finally caught his breathe and managed to bring his new power under his control.

"Did it work?" She asked softly, supporting her chin on his chest. He grunted and managed a small nod. He didn't trust himself to move just yet, and he was enjoying the moment.

"Are you okay?" He asked after a while. She smiled sadly at him.

"It still hurts a bit. But it wasn't bad." She said. Cell frowned.

"I'm sorry." She leaned forward, kissing him on the beak.

"Don't be, I still enjoyed myself." She said playfully. He let her go as she moved to get up. Cell watched her as she quickly dressed herself.

His senses suddenly twinged and he snarled.

"Damn it." He said angrily, quickly jumping to his feet. Rowan stepped back, her eyes wide.

"What?"

"Piccolo. He must have sensed my energy." Cell growled. He turned to Rowan, and quickly pressed his lips to hers.

"Thank you Rowan. I should have the power I need to deal with the Other Cell now. Please, take care of yourself." Rowan nodded, watching as Cell suddenly leapt into the new tree line on the other side of the huge clearing he had made. He was gone within seconds.

Rowan stared after him for a few moments, lost in thought. She screamed and fell over backwards as someone suddenly dropped from the sky in front of her. She had NOT been expecting that.

She stared up at him, her heart thundering. Dawn was just beginning to break, slowly turning the black into grey. She could see him clearly enough, a tall, dark green man with huge pointed ears wearing a turban and heavy-shouldered cape. He was visibly angry, a deep scowl on his face.

"What happened here?!" He demanded in a deep and gravelly voice. Rowan could only stare. He snarled at her.

"Quick, which way did the monster go?!" He roared angrily.

"Piccolo…" She said quietly, still stunned. His face turned stony.

"How do you know my name?" His voice turned deathly quiet and full of venom. Rowan cowered slightly under his un-nerving stare.

"He went that way." She said meekly, pointing past Piccolo in a slightly different direction to where Cell had actually gone. Piccolo whirled around to look at the tree line, glancing back at Rowan with a growl, before he blasted off in a blazing aura of silver, covering Rowan in dust.

Rowan sat where she had fallen over, staring at where Piccolo had disappeared. The sound of Peters' voice calling her name snapped her out of her daze, and she gathered herself up, dusting herself off. She was filthy and she knew she would have a hard time explaining that to the others.

She quickly started back towards the campsite.

Piccolo had questions he needed to have answered. But despite his need to know more, his urge to find Cell, was stronger. He knew he had felt the damnable androids power. He knew he must have missed him by mere seconds. Cells' power terrified him. Every time he sensed it, it was stronger, more potent. He cursed him silently; his eyes and ears scanning the forest below. It was no use trying to find him as he was exceptionally good at hiding his energy from detection, and even better at hiding his huge form from sight. But Piccolo still tried, straining his senses to their limits, scanning for any sign.

Minutes stretched on, and Piccolo doubled back several times. He had to be here somewhere.

Unless the girl had pointed him in the wrong direction.

"DAMNIT!" He roared, his fury fuelling his energy as flared around him dangerously.

But why would she lie? Why would someone protect Cell? No, he had to be around here somewhere.

Piccolo flew over the area one more time, but it was no use. Piccolo turned back to where he had sensed Cell, and found the girl standing in a huge clearing. Something Cell had obviously done. But why? And why was the girl still alive? Cell didn't leave survivors in the cities he visited. He wanted to know more, and he contemplated going after the girl, finding out what he could from her. She knew something.

By the time the sun had fully risen above the mountain ranges, Rowan was back in the van with Mary and her family. She had explained away her dirtiness by saying she had gone for a walk after no being able to sleep, and had fallen over a rock in the dark. She had suffered all of breakfast being reprimanded for her stupid behaviour of wandering off in the dark. She had endured it, to finally be left to her thoughts in the van.

Sitting was uncomfortable. She still sported tender bruises in sensitive areas, something that made her smile to herself. She thought about Cell, wondered if what she had done was enough, if he could overpower the other Cell and finally stop the senseless slaughter.

"I reckon by tonight we should be there. Maybe tomorrow morning at the latest." Peter said conversationally.

"I'll try to take a nap in the afternoon hun, that way we can swap over and drive through the night." Mary said with finality. Peter nodded.

Rowan was barely paying attention, her eyes drooping. She had gotten no sleep last night, and now she was horribly tired. She yawned, feeling herself drifting off as she leaned her head against the vans' door.

"SHIT!" Peter's sudden cursive and the squeal of the tyres as the van lurched violently brought Rowan from her deep sleep to a sudden full alertness. It was afternoon; the sun was high in the sky.

Mary started screaming as Peter started yelling. It was chaos, Peter ramming the van in reverse, flooring it. As the van roared in protest, Rowan looked out the window, her heart hammering in fear. She saw him, the huge green monster.

It wasn't her Cell. It was the savage monster that had ripped a gaping hole in the population of the Spice District. He was stooped forward, his tail arched over his back, a wicked snarl baring his fanged teeth. His eyes were cold, with incredibly thin slit pupils in a sea of reddish pink.

Rowan looked at Mary and the screaming Tom in her arms, saw the fear on the pale faces, and she made her decision. She unbuckled her seat belt, and tore open the side door.

"ROWAN! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Rowan had a powerful determination in her eyes.

"Run! Whatever you do, just keep going!" She yelled. Peter slowed down, turning the van around. Rowan seized her chance and jumped out.

"ROWAN!" Mary screamed, but Peter floored it. The other Cell roared, leaping forward with amazing speed. Rowan ran to intercept him, throwing her arms out, and stopping.

"STOP, CELL!" Rowan roared defiant. Time seemed to slow down suddenly, as Rowan realized Other Cell wasn't stopping, his claws outstretched, his tail poised to strike her. She shut her eyes tight, expecting to feel the stab, but she kept her arms out.

Nothing happened. Slowly she opened an eye, and quickly opened the other. Other Cell's face was dangerously close to hers, his eyes wild. His mouth was partially opened as he breathed heavily. His tail tip was so close; it was almost touching the exposed flesh of her neck.

 _Guess that answers if it's genetically encoded or not._ She thought wryly, watching as Other Cell's lips curled back in a strange gargled snarl. His tail pulled back over his head, away from her throat. His face came close as he breathed, and she knew he smelt her. His focus was entirely on her in that moment. The unfocused, wild and somewhat dazed look in his eye made her realize that he was confused and stunned.

 _Great, now what?_ She thought miserably to herself. She tried not to move. _If he is an animal, then if I run, that will definitely trigger his chasing instinct. I can't stay standing here though. Oh god, where's Seru, when you need him?_

Other Cell's face leaned in closer. Rowan pulled her face away from him in disgust as he slowly slipped his tongue out, licking her cheek. Her taste earned her a deep rumble from deep in Other Cells' throat and a sort of grin. His tail lashed out behind him.

 _God I hope Mary and the others make it to safety._

Other Cell's eyes finally narrowed and his focus returned somewhat. He slowly circled Rowan, his tail tip coming dangerously close to her face. A threat, she realized.

Other Cell poked her then, hard, in the small of the back with his hand. She grunted, and stumbled as she fell forward. She turned around to face him. He was snickering. He jumped closer, pushing her again. She struggled to catch herself, falling to her hands and knees. She was getting annoyed now, and jumped back up to her feet. He was laughing now, his tail curling around his feet. He lunged at her again, but she stood her ground.

" **NO!"** She yelled. He stopped just shy of actually pushing her, his face falling from an amused laugh to an angry growl. He roared suddenly, loud and brutal, spittle flying in her face. His power surged in his anger, and his energy erupted into a golden aura.

His fangs were much larger and more pronounced than her Cells' were, she noticed. His beak was a little longer, and his head crest was more swept back. Even the speckled pattern that covered his leathery armour looked more like scales than it did the random pattern on her Cells'.

Other Cell brought his face to hers, the shiny black jewel in the centre of his head crest, touched her forehead, a sudden touch of ice, but she stood her ground, glaring dangerously back at Other Cell. She wouldn't back down. He would either kill her or he wouldn't. She was gambling everything on the genetic coding to protect her now.

Cell was so furious, his lips quivered and his tail thrashed angrily, smashing up the pavement on the road below. His clawed hands bunched into fists, and he drew himself up to his full height, making himself as intimidating as possible. Still, Rowan held her ground, glaring right back at him. Inside though, she was terrified, knowing that he could kill her effortlessly in a heartbeat.

The two glared angrily at each other for a long while, until Other Cell snapped, and jumped backwards, screaming in his fury. His tail smashed a giant pine's trunk in two, sending it falling backwards into the woods. It brought a smaller tree down with it, birds flying noisily into the sky in protest. Rowan started at the sound and sight, and Other Cell instantly stopped, his eyes narrowing at her. She had broken her resolve.

"Shit." She said, hesitating. Very slowly, his beak split into a menacing grin. Rowan felt all the hairs on her neck stand on end, and her adrenalin surge. She turned tail, sprinting for the tree line. Other Cell rushed after her.

Cell's eyes widened as his senses roared. Other Cells' energy had suddenly flared, and he was only on the other side of the ridge. He hadn't expected Other Cell to be so close, or…

 _Why is his energy flaring?_ Cell focused, trying to figure out who he was fighting. _Is it the androids?!_ Cell thought, panicking. _Wait… No, not the androids. There's a small energy source…_

" **ROWAN!"** Cell roared, detecting the familiar energy, his golden aura erupting around him in a sudden burst. He was no longer concerned with hiding.

Piccolo felt the sudden flare of energy and he whirled around, staring at the source. It wasn't that far, maybe 5 minutes away. He snarled angrily, and burst off towards the source.

"This time Cell, you're mine!" He growled to himself. His senses snapped again and he stopped, staring in disbelief. A second burst of power… the energy signature was…

"Another Cell? There are two Cells?!" He bellowed in disbelief. The new power was potent and truly terrifying as it continued to rise. It was making a bee line for the first one. Piccolos' head swam with questions, and he tried to shake them off. His energy flared again, and he rushed towards the first Cell, knowing he would find both Cells there.


	5. V

**Thanks for taking the time to read this so far!**

He was too late.

Cell froze, his heart thundering in his chest as his blood turned to ice. He hung suspended in the air, staring at the towering blaze of golden energy that had erupted like a mountain into the sky. Other Cells' energy was enormous. His power was beyond anything Cell had ever felt before. Even his own, new, super charged power was only paltry compared to this. The Earth below him shook violently, huge cracks forming in the ground, swallowing whole chunks of forest.

He was too late.

"Rowan…I'm sorry." He whispered, his mouth had gone dry, his voice was hoarse and raspier than usual, and he almost choked on his own words. The monstrous power of Other Cell continued to grow, the golden blazing aura shone brighter. A burst of energy, and the forest below was completely vaporized, leaving only the rocky Earth exposed beneath the soil.

Cell saw him then, a small speck in the distance, engulfed in the monstrous blaze of energy. Winds lashed at Cells' face but he felt nothing. He was numb with the overwhelming failure.

Something caught his attention then, a tiny spec on the ground just behind Other Cell. Cell stared at it for a long moment. He was too far away to see, but he could sense that it was Rowan. She was still alive, although her energy was dim, barely even detectable next to Other Cells overwhelming power.

And still his power rose.

"Cell!" Cell barely even glanced at Piccolo as he roared up next to him. Cell looked at Piccolo for just a moment.

"Piccolo." Cell snarled. This caught Piccolo off guard.

"You can talk? What the hell is going on? Why are there two of you?! How did he get so strong?!" Piccolo demanded. Cell snarled. He really didn't have time to deal with the Namekian.

"Do you see that girl behind the Other Cell?" Cell asked. Piccolo focused, nodded.

"I see her."

"Save her. She's important." Cell said firmly. Before Piccolo could say or ask anything else, Cell's aura erupted around him potent, powerful and full of the rage he felt within him. It was not as impressive as Other Cells', but it was never the less magnificent.

He burst into full flight, lunging straight at Other Cell.

"CELL!" Piccolo roared after him.

Piccolo felt his anger and frustration boil to the surface and he clenched his fists, feeling his long nails dig into his skin. He watched as the two monstrous powers collided in a massive explosive burst that threatened to blast Piccolo out of the sky. They broke into a fight then, one extremely savage, brutal and unpredictable, the other, a mighty fighter with masterful technique, but hopelessly outmatched in power.

Piccolo turned his focus on the girl. He watched, as the weaker Cell led the stronger in battle away from where the girl lay. Piccolo knew that if he was to get involved in such a fight, he would lose. It was better to let the two Cells fight it out. He flew down towards the girl, getting buffeted occasionally by the shock blasts from the battle.

The girl was unconscious. She had a horrible bruise across her cheek and her clothes were shredded and ripped leaving her exposed.

 _Slashed_. He realized with a scowl. Thin trails of blood marked where his claws had torn her flesh. None of the wounds appeared to be life threatening. He slipped off his cape, ripping off the weighted shoulders, and draping it over her and scooping her up in his arms. His senses flared, and he dodged, leaping backwards as a powerful energy attack blasted the spot he had just been standing.

"MINE!" The stronger Cell hissed. His distraction cost him as the weaker Cell punched the stronger hard in the jaw, sending him flying across the wasteland.

"PICCOLO, RUN!"

Cell gave chase to the Other Cell; blasting his power to it's full. He caught up, flipping and landing a devastating kick to Other Cell's exposed abdomen, sending him crashing into the ground below in a shower of rocks and dust. He didn't wait for Other Cell to get up, cupping his hands to his side.

"Kameha…" He started. He narrowed his eyes, enraged. He had seen Rowan, seen what this monster had done to her, felt his failure burn within him.

"Mae…" Cell poured all of energy into the glowing ball of energy in his hands.

"KaemaehamaeHA!" The sudden blast of light from the crater below surprised Cell.

"HA!" He roared back, thrusting his hands forward and unleashing his attack.

The two attacks collided with an Earth-shaking blast of power, the shock wave lashing out across the landscape.

But despite all the energy he had, he simply couldn't fend off the power of the super-charged Other Cell.

Cells' eyes widened in the sudden fear of realization as the Other Cells' energy blast consumed his own, and the attack roared straight at him. He tried to dodge, diving to the side, but the monstrous blast struck his legs and waist, incinerating them instantly.

He roared in agony, feeling the severity of the attack. He had lost his legs, half his wings, his abdomen and all but a stub of his tail. He groaned, trying to focus. He had just lost a massive amount of energy, and now a huge amount of flesh too.

"Heheheheheh…" He glared down as the dust settled around Other Cell, his aura surrounding his body, golden and terrible in its power. Other Cell looked up at him, in the same way a lion looks at a wooden antelope and slowly licked his lips.

Piccolo had stopped flying, turning back to watch the fight. He was a fair distance away from the fight, hovering above the ground, but his keen senses allowed him to watch it. The girl groaned in his arms, moving. Her eyes opened slowly.

"My head…" She groaned. Piccolo looked down at her with a frown but said nothing. She took a moment, evaluating herself and where she was. She touched the cloak that covered her and her eyes turned steely for several seconds. "That… Monster…" She hissed between clenched teeth. Piccolos' eyes narrowed.

"What happened?" Her face flushed red with shame her eyes watered, although she did well, keeping the tears back. She said nothing, staring at her hands in anger.

A sudden shock wave buffeted them, and Piccolo turned his focus back on the fight, as one of the Cells' half-destroyed bodies crashed into the ground below. Rowan stared down at him in utter shock.

"Seru…" She whispered, her face flashed with a dark shadow.

Piccolo grunted, dropping the girl as she suddenly flung herself from his arms with surprising force.

"Wait! You'll just get yourself killed!" He roared.

Cell propped himself up against a rock, focusing his energy. With a powerful and painful burst, all his missing limbs erupted from their stubs in a shower of green. He panted for a moment, trying to catch his breath. His energy was all but gone, and as he looked up at the Other Cell, saw his blazing golden energy, felt his terrible power, and he knew, he was beaten.

The Other Cell stopped in front of Cell, looming over him dangerously, his tail arched over his back, poised to strike.

"NO! SERU!" Rowan roared. Suddenly she was there, throwing herself at Cell. He caught her, growling.

"Rowan, you have to go." His voice was bitter and sad, but full of force. He tried to push her away.

"No, damnit! This is all my fault!" She stood up, turning her back to Cell and outstretching her arms, once again protecting the people she cared about.

"Stop it Cell!" She roared. Other Cell tilted his head at her, a sadistic grin on his face. But he did hesitate, his tail quivering over his head.

"Rowan, please." Cell's voice was full of concern and sadness. He forced himself to his feet. He lunged at Rowan from behind, intending to throw her out of the way.

It happened in a slow-motion blur. Rowans' eyes opened in shock as she felt the force of the impact, and looked down, seeing Other Cells' tail embedded deep in her chest. She felt Cell holding her from behind, and she looked over her shoulder. His face twisted in pain, but his eyes locked on hers, full of pain and sorrow.

"I'm so sorry, Rowan." He gasped. She heard the horrific sucking sound and watched in horror as Cell's face drained away, collapsing in on itself. Within seconds he was gone. Her friend, her companion… Her lover… was gone.

Piccolo watched mortified as the girl stood between the two monsters, trying to protect one of them, only to get impaled right through her chest, out her back, and into the belly of the Cell she was protecting. He was frozen in fear, staring in disbelief. The Other Cell yanked his tail free in a spurt of blood after he absorbed the other Cell. The girl fell to her knees in front of the monster, and then collapsed with only a gargled gasp and a small billow of dust.

"You fiend!" Piccolo snarled. The new Cell ignored him, his eyes closed as he relished the increased power. Piccolo stared down at the girl's body and made a decision. He couldn't fight the monster, but he could try to save her.

He lunged at her, scooping her over his shoulder and blasting into the air in one smooth movement. He glanced back to see if Cell was going to follow him, but he hadn't moved a muscle.

Piccolo snarled and shifted the girl to a more comfortable position.

"Damnit!" He roared angrily.

Rowan stirred. She felt like she had been run under a steam roller. She tried to move, but everything hurt. Her limbs felt like they were made of lead, her head pounded, her chest ached horribly and her face felt swollen and tender. She tried to open her eyes, but that just brought on a whole new wave of throbbing pain. It was intense enough, that she felt nauseous and she kept her self still, focusing on her breathing until the feeling passed.

"How are you feeling?" She heard a woman's voice, unfamiliar, but not unkind. She tried to open her eyes again, letting the light filter in. She groaned very gently rolling her face towards the voice.

"I've been better." She murmured, feeling the swelling in her jaw ache as she spoke.

"You're really lucky to be alive. To be honest, I thought you weren't going to make it for a while there." The lady went from a blur of bright colours into a focused image as her eyes finally adjusted. She recognized the face from the magazines.

"You're Bulma Briefs." It wasn't a question. Bulma smiled down at her and nodded.

"Do you know your name?" Rowan smiled back, but it turned into a grimace at the pain.

"Rowan Graves."

"Pleasure to meet you, Miss Graves."

"Rowan, please." Bulma grinned, leaning over and checking the readouts on the screen on the opposite side of the bed. Rowan watched her, but her mind raced as slowly everything came back.

"You'll probably want to know, that you're at the Capsule Corp. You've been here for 3 days." Bulma said. Rowan gave her a small curt nod of acknowledgement, but offered up nothing more.

"Can you tell me what happened, Rowan?" Bulma asked after a long while. Rowan's eyes stung with tears and she blinked, trying to keep them back. Her chest ached with more than just the pain of being impaled.

"Seru… He's gone…" She whispered. Bulma frowned.

"I'm so sorry Rowan. So many people have been lost to that monster." Rowan's lips quivered and she felt a hot tear streak over her swollen jaw. Bulma stared at her for a long while, a sad frown on her face. When Rowan didn't make any attempt to talk, Bulma patted her arm.

"I'm going to go, give you some time to adjust. There's some water on the table here, and if you need anything else, just press this button here." Bulma indicated to a large green button on the side of one of the machines that were connected to the monitors, and to Rowan. Rowan gave her a small nod, but didn't watch as she left.

As soon as the door closed, the tears fell freely and silently, as she closed her eyes, thinking of her shame. She had been stupid, using herself as bait. She had caught Other Cell's attention, but she hadn't been fast enough to escape, or strong enough to stop him, and he had ripped her clothes, and her flesh, simply taking what he wanted. She had given the monster all the power he needed to defeat Seru and continue his slaughter and rampage across the country, unchecked.

"He's dead because of me…" She said her voice full of absolute conviction. "Because I wasn't strong enough…" Her resolve broke and her face twisted into a silent scream, as her shame consumed her completely. Like a bursting dam, everything rushed forward and she collapsed in her utter sorrow and despair.

She woke again with a start, her heart racing and her body flooded with energy. She flung her eyes open, staring around. It was dark and she could hear the rain falling lightly outside. She looked around her room. She was still hooked up to the machines and the monitors flashed a warning with the increased heart rate. The door to the balcony was closed and she could see the balcony itself was empty. The monitors blinded her from looking in the far corner of the room, but the rest of the room was empty.

She sat up slowly, feeling a dull ache in her chest. She opened the night gown she was wearing, looking at the tight bandage. She touched it, feeling a small blossom of pain, but it was greatly reduced. She touched a hand to her face, the swelling was gone. The scratches on her arms and legs were gone as well.

"What the…" She frowned as she tried to work it out. She was mostly healed. Her stomach rumbled loudly, the sound seeming to echo, louder than the rain that fell outside. She leaned over grabbing the glass of water that had been left for her, and she downed it quickly. It wasn't enough and she was still thirsty and hungry. She ripped the sensors from her skin, ignoring the beeps of protest and slid out of bed. She felt weak on her legs and allowed herself a moment to adjust. She slowly ambled to one of the two doors in the room and opened it a crack. It was a small room, dark and smelt faintly of disinfectant and soap.

She opened the door fully and made her way to the toilet, blessedly relieving herself. She washed her hands in the sink, heading around the bed towards the other door. She didn't see the two glints of pink hidden in the shadow of the corner, watching as she left the room.

Rowan made her way down the dark and silent hallway, past other doors, pausing to listen to the mewling of a baby as it dreamt of something that was making it happy. She was tempted to open the door, and look in, but she resisted the temptation and moved on. She found herself at the top of a stair case. She paused, listening and watching. She could hear the faint sounds of what sounded like a power drill; the various trill tones of computers and the tacka-tacka of nimble fingers on a keyboard.

Slowly, and as quietly as possible, Rowan slipped down the stairs. They emerged out into a large lounge room with a comfortable and wide L-shaped Sofa arrangement around a huge flat screen TV. To her left was what looked like the front entrance hall of the building, and to her right was the archway that led into the kitchen.

There was a door, opened on the other side of the entrance hall, and light flooded out of it. The sounds were coming from there. It was like a beacon, and slowly Rowan made her way across the blessedly soft carpet, pausing at the door.

The door opened to a small flight of stairs that led into a basement area. She could see the sterile white linoleum floors and parts of chrome tables and benches, covered in electronics and tools. She heard a gruff males voice mumbling enthusiastically to himself, followed by more keyboard noises.

"Astounding. Truly incredible engineering." Rowan eased her way down the stairs, poking her head around the corner of the stair well.

She could see a smaller moustached man in a lab coat sitting at a computer, staring intently at the vast array of monitors that surrounded him with wide-eyed wonder. But what caught her attention and caused her to gasp, was the absolutely massive man on a chrome table in the middle of the room.

He was probably the largest man that she had ever seen, and he was incredibly muscular. He wore only a black skin-tight leotard, and his head was shaved, except for a strip of bright red hair that ran down the centre strip of his head. His eyes were closed, and from this angle, she could only see one side of him.

Her curiosity drew her and she stepped off the stair well and into the room. The man, she recognized as Doctor Briefs hadn't noticed her, but the giant mans' eyes opened revealing an intense piercing blue. Slowly his head rolled to face her, and she stepped back, in shock, as the other side of his face came into view.

His skull was opened, revealing a mass of circuitry and steel. He said nothing, but slowly he smiled a surprisingly warm and welcoming smile.

"You're… an android." She said. Doctor Briefs turned around then, surprised, but he managed a grin at Rowan.

"Ah, hello there!" He said.

"Uh, hi." Rowan managed, feeling suddenly small as she realized she was standing in front of one the greatest minds on Earth, wearing only a flimsy nightgown.

"Hello." The androids' voice was monotone and it startled Rowan.

"I'm glad to see you're finally up and about, how are you feeling?" Doctor Briefs asked.

"I'm.. Uh.. Feeling better, thanks." Doctor Briefs nodded, staring at her for a moment.

"You had some pretty nasty injuries. You almost died. Did Bulma tell you that?" Rowan managed a nod. Doctor Briefs nodded again and turned back to his monitors.

"We were surprised when Piccolo brought you here. We aren't medical doctors you know. But I suppose it makes sense. It's not like he could have taken you to a hospital, you being an alien and all." Doctor Briefs tapped one of his monitors as an image of a strand of DNA in its twisted helix form appeared. He tapped the keyboard, and a second image appeared of DNA, but instead of just two circling strands connected by rungs, this one had six strands, all encircling each other and connected by a network of proteins.

"Is that me?" She asked shocked. Her knowledge of biology was only the basics she had learnt at school. Doctor Briefs nodded with a bright smile.

"It certainly is. Way too complex for me to figure it out. I'm not that kind of a Doctor you know. But still it is very interesting. Can you tell me where you're from? What planet?" Rowan stared, still a little bemused by the android on the table that was still staring at her with a warm smile.

"I uh… I don't know anything about that. My mom was the alien, and she died when I was younger. Honestly, I only found out myself a few days ago."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Doctor Briefs replied, his voice genuinely sad, although she couldn't tell if it was for her loss, or for the fact he wouldn't know about her ancestry.

"Is he… Are you an android?" Rowan asked, directing her question to the giant man. He smiled a little wider.

"Yes, I am designated Android 16."

"Are you one of Geros'?" She asked a little hesitant.

"Yes." He replied again. Rowan stared in silence for a moment, swallowing the lump in her throat.

"Are you going to kill people too?" The androids' smile fell.

"I was created with the purpose to kill Son Goku. However, I have chosen to set aside that task in order to help fight against the threat of Cell." Rowan blinked letting his words sink in.

"Cell…" She lowered her head, staring angrily at the white linoleum floor. She felt her anger and her shame well up again, threatening to overwhelm her. She clenched her fists and closed her eyes, trying to maintain her control. Doctor Briefs stopped what he was doing, turning back to Rowan.

"I know you've been through a lot, Rowan, but I need to know, what happened? Piccolo was very vague on the details, only telling us that Cell had been the one who had hurt you." Rowan forced herself to take a deep breathe. Her mind flooded with memories again, painful, shameful and horrifying. It lingered on her Cells' face as he apologized, before he was drained away. She bit back the tears, refusing to cry again.

"I… I don't even know where to begin." She said sadly. Doctor Briefs stood up, walking around the android on the table and gently put his arm around her shoulder.

"Come sit down. I'll go make you a cup of tea." He led her to the chair he had just vacated, and she sat. He swung his jacket around her shoulders, and disappeared up the stair well.

Rowan stared at 16. He had followed her movements and was watching her intently.

"I do not know the details, but I have the same data from Geros' computer about your blood as Cell undoubtedly does." He said in his monotone voice. "I am aware of your unique gift." She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it, feeling her face flush as her anger simmered within her.

"Don't get any ideas." She said flatly. 16 smiled at the fire in her eyes.

"Do not worry. I am an entirely mechanical being. Such an activity would benefit me not." She sighed, feeling her anger abate and relief wash over her.

"I'm not sure I want anyone else to know. It seems dangerous."

"The Briefs are good people. I do not think they would do anything to harm you or willingly put you in harms' way. However I too agree that the details of your gift would be dangerous if it were common knowledge. Even good people can do bad things when they are desperate." Rowan nodded as his words, staring down at her clenched fists in her lap.

"Is Cell still killing people?" She asked after a long while. 16 paused for a moment, considering his answer.

"He no longer has a need to consume people. He has achieved his perfect form and has more power than is fathomable."

"His perfect form?! He found 17 and 18 then?" 16 frowned at her question, his face sad.

"Yes. I was unable to protect them from his wrath. I failed my friends." Rowan felt a deep fear in her belly at the news of Cell's evolution. But she also felt her heart ache as she watched 16's face.

"I… I know what you mean. Because of me, Seru was killed. It's my fault Cell is the monster he is…" She said quietly. 16s face was unreadable, as he stared intently at her.

"So my sensors were not failing. There were two Cells." He said after a while. Rowan nodded and wiped her eyes. They were moist.

"Seru was from the future, and he was my friend. He lived with me for four years in his larval form, while he waited for his body to mature." 16 frowned, as he listened. Rowan found she couldn't stop herself, and before she knew it, she was telling 16 everything that had happened.

She told him about the other Cell's appearance on the TV, triggering her Cells' evolution, about how he had told her about the future, and how he had known her then, and had come looking for her when he came back in time. She even told him about how she had willingly given him a power boost in the forest so he could stop the primal Cell, although she glossed over the details, her face flushed as she recalled the memory. She told him then, about how she had used herself as bait to save her friends from Cell's attack, but how it had backfired.

"It's my fault, 16. I shouldn't have brought attention to myself. Maybe he would have killed me like the others and he wouldn't have gotten as strong as he is now… And then Seru would have won, and we wouldn't have such a Monster to deal with now."

16 sat in silence as she finished, her head hanging in shame. Slowly, he lifted his hand out to her. She gave him hers and felt his reassuring warmth as he squeezed her hand gently.

"It is not your fault, Rowan. You did what you thought was best. Your intentions were noble. Your actions saved Mary and her family." His eyes were kind and sincere, even though he wore a sad smile.

"Thanks 16. I have to admit, I feel better telling you." 16's smile was genuine and warm.

"You are most welcome." She took her hand back and he returned his to his side on the table. A silence befell them for a while.

"Do you know what Cell will do now that he is complete?" She asked. 16 frowned.

"He has declared a martial arts tournament, called the Cell Games, in order to decide the worlds' fate. It is scheduled to be held in 8 days' time, in an arena he has built. I believe he is giving the Z warriors a chance to fight back against him, in order to fully test his new strength." Rowan blinked in utter surprise, as she thought of the monstrous Cell, little more than a savage animal. She couldn't wrap her head around it.

"But... He was little more than an animal. How is he hosting a tournament? That doesn't make any sense…" 16 looked at her with a slight frown.

"I do not know. But he has given his word to Goku that he will not attack anyone, unless he is provoked, until the tournament." This shocked Rowan even more. She felt numb and dizzy, and her chest ached.

"I think…. I need to think…" She said meekly. 16 nodded as she stood up, swinging Doctor Briefs' coat over the back of his chair.

"Thank you 16." She felt surprisingly comfortable around the giant man, and she gently touched his arm in appreciation. 16 smiled at her, turning his face back up to the ceiling, closing his eyes.

Rowan walked back up the stair well. Doctor Briefs and Bulma were both standing at the top of the stair well, two mugs in Doctor Briefs' hands.

"I'm so sorry Rowan; I didn't want to interrupt you." He said a flush of shame on his face. Rowan frowned.

"You heard…" It wasn't a question. Bulma's face was full of concern and anger.

"That jerk." She hissed. Doctor Briefs offered Rowan a cup. It was still warm, but not hot. They had been standing there for a while. She thanked him for the tea.

"I'm going to go back to bed, if that's okay." She said, feeling dirty and shamed. She didn't wait for a reply, gently walking past them and heading back up the stairs to her room.

She closed the door behind her, and placed the tea mug on the side table next to her bed. The machines and monitors next to her bed were off now, silent. The room was chilly. There was only a slight breeze, but it was still raining lightly outside, and the balcony door was ajar, letting the cool air in. Rowan sighed and stared out the window, before she slowly closed the balcony door, and turned to her bed. She started suddenly, as she saw a little capsule case on her bed and a folded piece of paper.

"Bulma?" She wondered to herself. She sat on the bed, and unfolded the note.

 _The gift of freedom. The promise of resolution.-S._ She read, the letters were beautifully written. She stared at it for a moment, before she turned the note over.

 _NW Central City, P 5, R 28 KS._ She stared at the writing for a long time. It was an address, written in the old style, a fashion that hadn't been used in mainstream for years. Slowly she folded the paper placing it on the bed, and she opened the small metal case. 3 Capsules were secured.

She slipped each one out, reading the labels on the side.

"6x RX hover bike." She read, staring in wide eyed surprise at one of them. The second was a standard storage unit, the size of a small filing cabinet. The third was a small dome house, like the one she had, but had been lost during the fighting.

"No… wait…" She looked closer at the peeling label; saw the scratches and the dirty marks. "This... This isn't a house like mine, it _IS MINE_." She said with a gasp. She dropped the capsule onto the bed, staring at it with wide eyed horror.

It took Rowan several more minutes, before she finally shook the fear from her system, her mind finally whirling back into action. She picked up the note again, staring at it intently.

"The gift of freedom…" She mused. She looked at the capsules. The bike was new, but her house had everything she owned in it. She wouldn't deny she was at least glad to get that back. She wondered where the bike had come from, wondered if she should even keep it.

"The promise of resolution." This one made her frown as she thought about it. "Is he promising to give me an explanation?" She wondered. She looked at the address. She would need a map to figure out the exact location, but the NW Central city, told her that it was obviously North West of Central City. If she was at Capsule Corporation Headquarters, then that meant she was in West City. Central City was East, on the other side of the Paprika River.

At least a half days drive, if she was to go. She sat in silence, her mind racing as she stared at the capsules and the beautifully written note.

 _Why would I go to see him, after what he did to me?_ She thought bitterly. _Because he called himself Seru? Does he think I'm that stupid? But… He was an animal. How is it that he's making all these scheming plans, and acting smart? And apparently he can talk now. Ugh, I'm so confused._ She felt hungry, but she didn't have the appetite to do anything about it.

Finally, curiosity got the better of her, and she opened the storage capsule, clicking the activator and tossing it into the middle of the floor. A storage cabinet appeared, pale blue in colour with two huge drawers. She opened the bottom one first, finding it filled with a few sets of clothes and a pair of sneakers neatly on top. She rummaged through, finding a pair of dark jeans and a heavy woollen turtle neck. She quickly dressed herself, tying up the laces on her shoes. They all fit her perfectly. He knew her size. She also grabbed out a large, water-tight jacket, tossing that on the bed too.

She opened the top drawer next, found a map, torch, a small bundle of money, first aid kit and a few other bits and pieces that would come in handy on a long trip. She withdrew the map, opening it up and spreading it out over her bed. She looked at the note again, before she examined the map closely. She pin pointed the location in the middle of farming country.

"At least he's away from people." She muttered to herself. She grabbed the money, feeling dirty, just for touching it. She had no way of knowing where it came from, and if Cell had killed people to get it. There was a few hundred dollars' worth. She frowned and tossed the money on the bed. She made a mental catalogue of everything else that was in the cabinet, before she finally closed the drawer and re-activated the capsule, picking it back up and sliding it back in place in the metal case.

She stared at the collection of stuff on her bed now, listening to the gentle rain outside. She frowned, her internal mind warring with itself. Half of her wanted to run away, far away, to somewhere where she could be safe. Her fear of Cell was strong, the savage fanged monster and his tearing claws, his hot stinking breath and the needle sharp tail, the horrible things he had done to her and to her dear friend were memories that would haunt her always. Not that she could think of anywhere safe to hide.

But the other half of her was curious. What had happened to Cell, why was he so articulate and smart now? What had happened, and why would he call himself S? Was it possible that somehow, Seru had survived? Was Cell just playing games, trying to make her come to him, on his terms? Was this a trap? Or was it genuine? He had given her the means to make her own decision, the freedom…

"The gift of freedom." She smiled wryly at this and sighed, collapsing on the bed to think.

The rain eased as dawn broke. It was a grey morning, the clouds still peppered the sky, but it was slowly clearing. As was Rowans' mind. She had suffered greatly at the hands of the monster, but all evidence suggested that something had changed. She wanted to know what. But she also didn't want to give him what he wanted. She could potentially double his power level and that, would be very, very bad.

She would take the gift he had given her, and she would run.

Away from him.

The house was silent again. Bulma and Doctor Briefs had obviously gone to bed. Rowan made her way downstairs and into the kitchen. She helped herself to a large bottle of water, drinking half the contents, before refilling it and setting it on the table. She made herself a sandwich, eating it ravenously, while she rummaged through the pantry. She felt ashamed as she helped herself to dried and canned foods, piling them on the table, before shovelling them into a shoulder bag.

She quickly scribbled out a note using a pen and pad next to the phone, leaving the note on the kitchen table, before she left out the front door, quietly closing it with a reluctant sigh. She walked quickly and quietly down the pavement, following the street around the corner until she was out of sight of the giant yellow domed building of Capsule Corp. The city was just starting to wake up, with a handful of early-shift workers getting into the cars, or walking down the sidewalk, people who weren't afraid of Cell, or who didn't have anywhere else to run.

Rowan pulled out the bike capsule, clicking it and tossing it onto the side of the road. The bike was new, and beautiful. It was a large, sleek thing, with white, chrome and black components. It looked like it was built for speed and power, and Rowan couldn't deny her thrill when she saw it.

She didn't have a license, and her experiences with hover bikes where minimal, but she took it slow, getting a feel for the rumbling, powerful engine beneath her body as she eased the bike into gear, and took off down the road.

She found her way out of West City without incident, her confidence in driving increasing as she adjusted to the bike. She got a thrill out of feeling the wind in her face. She had her hair tied back in a ponytail, and had tucked that under the neckline of her jacket, but loose strands still whipped around her face. The bike had a wind shield, keeping the bugs out of her face as she sped along the road.

She stopped about an hour later, pulling over into a gas station on the side of the road. She sat on a bench around the side of the gas station and pulled out the map from her bag, smoothing it out. She studied it carefully, wondering where she should go. The roads were surprisingly quiet outside the city, and there was only two other cars at the station. One was parked, and obviously belonged to the employee. The other was at the pump; a snappily dressed business man was filling up his car.

Rowan sighed, absently tracing roads with her fingers. She could go anywhere. Absolutely anywhere. And all she could think of was him. She felt the hairs on her neck rise, and she looked up suddenly, feeling like she wasn't alone. She looked around, but the business man was ignoring her. She scanned the tree line at the back of the service station, but nothing caught her attention. She frowned, watching intently for a moment, before she looked back at the map.

She heard the man finish up and the jingle of bells as he went inside to pay. She looked up a moment later as he got back into his car, firing it up and driving off. An occasional car drove past on the road. Everything seemed fine, but Rowan still felt alert and uneasy.

"I could go north." She mused to herself after a while, looking at the abundance of small towns that littered the North ranges. "Although it will be cold this time of year." She examined the West, port cities on the edge of the vast ocean. Sunnier, and with the beach, it seemed more tempting. To the East, were the farming lands and forests, back from where she had come from. She only considered the South for a moment, resolute against it. Her fathers' house was south.

She sighed, her eyes being drawn back to the red circle she had marked on the map just outside Central City.

"If only there was a way I could guarantee he wouldn't use me." She muttered.

"I give you my word." She almost screamed as her entire body tensed as her adrenalin pumped at the smooth, conceded voice. She whirled around, looking up.

He was standing on the roof of the service station, hidden from the road behind a giant sign, but he was in clear view of her. She simply hadn't looked up.

He had changed completely. He looked, for want of a better term, like a human Man, only taller, stronger and adorned with speckled light green armour. His pale white face looked sculpted, clean cut, and perfectly proportioned with cool magenta eyes, a perfectly straight nose, framed by a strange yellow chin strap that held the split-horn like helmet on his head. He had indigo streaks on his cheeks and two long and slender, black shelled wings hung from his shoulders. His arms were folded across his broad chest.

Rowan felt the burst of pain erupt in her chest at the sight of him, and she jumped to her feet, backing away from the service station.

"Cell…" She gasped, unable to hide the fear that had gripped her.

"Hello Rowan." He said with a wide smirk. "What do you think of my final form?" Slowly, and without any sign of effort, he lifted from the roof, slowly lowering to the ground in front of her. She stepped back, trying to put distance between them. He was so tall, looming over her. She couldn't speak, her tongue turning to ash in her mouth.

Her heart hammered in her chest and blood surged, but she stood frozen, her mind blank. It took several moments for her to calm herself, for her body to start responding to her thoughts again.

"Well?" He asked again. His voice was smooth, deeper and completely different from the voice she knew.

"You still look like a monster to me." She managed, faking her bravado. He saw through her easily, his bright magenta eyes flashing with a sick delight.

"You never were a good liar." She snarled at this.

"Like you would know."

"Oh but I do. I lived with you for four years." Her eyes widened at what he were saying, her fear replaced with surprise.

"No… That was Seru… You killed him." Her anger flared within her, heating her blood. "You murdered him, _**THROUGH ME**_!" She screamed the last two words, her anger was absolute, the memory of her friends face, so full of sadness blazing across her mind. She lunged at him in her blind rage, fists balling as she tried to hit him.

He easily dodged her swings, with a chuckle, catching her wrists in his hands effortlessly. She writhed and pulled, trying to twist away from him, yelling and screaming.

Her commotion caused the employee of the gas station to run out, stumbling as he saw Cell and falling to his face.

"Holy shit!" He half crawled, half ran back the way he had come.

"Calm down Rowan." Cell demanded a smirk on his face. He was arrogant, enjoying watching her fire burn. She tried to free her wrists, but it was useless.

He wasn't hurting her, but his grip was like iron, unrelenting and absolute. She finally stopped, the exertion causing her to breathe heavily. Her hair frayed around her face.

"Are you quite done?" He asked. She snarled, and said nothing. He let her go, and she stepped back, putting distance between him.

"Jerk." She growled. This only made him grin wider.

"Now, now. There's no need to be so rude."

"What do you want?" She demanded, brushing the loose hair from her face. She tried to reign in her anger and the shame that fuelled it.

The gas station clerk appeared again, a shot gun in his hands. He levelled it at Cell. Cell didn't even look, instead, stepping forward suddenly towards Rowan, his back to the clerk. His wings snapped shut behind him as the clerk fired both rounds.

The sound was deafeningly loud and Rowan flinched. Cell was right in front of her, a sadistic grin on his face. The clerk tried to fire again, but the gun clicked, out of shells. Cell turned his side to face the clerk, his wings flexing, as the tiny pellets rained on the floor.

"Don't hurt him!" Rowan yelled suddenly. Cell didn't move, staring at the clerk, who stared in horror at Cell. She could see the tiny tensing of his jaw, feel the heat of energy emanating from him, and she knew he wanted to kill the man. But he didn't. Rowan watched as the clerk hugged his gun to his chest and disappeared back inside the service station to cower and hide.

The whole even had taken only a few seconds, but Rowan found her anger flare down to a simmer. He could have killed him, it would have been nothing for him, she knew, but he hadn't. Why hadn't he? She couldn't understand it.

Cells' cool gaze turned back to hers, his face still sporting a smirk.

"Rude little insect." He sneered. Rowan frowned.

"Thank you." She managed, although the words were bitter in her mouth. Cells grin widened, and he lowered his head to eye level with hers.

"You are most welcome." He said in a voice that oozed arrogance. She grimaced and turned her face away from him, waiting until he stood back up to his full, impressive height. He lifted from the ground then; his wings open slightly as he landed smoothly on the roof again.

"Wait, that's it? You're just going to go?" She was surprised and it showed in her tone. He smirked, folding his arms across his chest again.

"I gave you the gift of freedom, Rowan. Freedom to make your own choices. If you want to know the truth about me, you know where to find me." Cell tapped his head knowingly with a sly grin as he spoke.

"Wait a sec!" Cell laughed, a smooth, but cruel sound.

"I give you my word, I will not hurt you, if you do decide to visit my arena." He laughed.

"DAMNIT CELL!" She roared as he took to the skies in a burst of golden energy, his laugh fading as he flew away. The sign groaned and fell to the ground from the power of his departure, but Rowan ignored it and sighed nasally, stressed and annoyed.

She sat down on the bench for a moment, staring at the map, her mind recalling everything that had just happened.

He wasn't her Seru. She concluded. But it also wasn't the Cell she had encountered either. She wondered if his word was worth anything.

"I can't believe I'm actually thinking about this. It could just be a trap." She said to herself. She looked up at the sky where he had flown off. She thought of the power she had felt as he gripped her wrists and frowned. "Although if he had really wanted to, he could have just taken me then and there and there would be nothing I, or anyone else could do to stop him." She admitted.

She folded the map back up quickly, and stuffed it back into her bag. She mounted her bike, sending gravel and dust up as she spun the wheels before zooming off down the road. She had made her decision.

She had to know.


	6. VI

Rowan was glad she had a bike instead of a car. The closer she got to Central City, the worse the traffic got, until it was clogged completely on the lanes leading out of the city, and people had begun to spill over into the other side of the road in an attempt to escape away from the tyrant. Rowan swerved between the cars easily.

She tried to stop at a motel for the night outside of Central City, but it was full to burst and she didn't even make it into the reception. People were hysterical, and there was chaos everywhere. Rowan fled, re-capsuling her bike and heading to the river.

Paprika River was a wide body of water. It fed the lands with the rain from the Sage Mountains, carving a path across the land until it reached the great sea. Central City was on the other side of the river. There were 2 major bridges that crossed over the river, and each was jammed full of people trying to escape. Rowan saved herself the trouble of trying to navigate through the mess of hysteric people, yelling and honking their horns on her bike, and instead crossed over the bridge on foot, using the small foot path on the sides of the bridges.

People were evacuating on foot too, carrying bags and suitcases, each looking worried, sad or angry. Cell was destroying people's lives and all he was doing was sitting in his arena, waiting for his tournament.

On the other side of the bridge, Rowan gave herself a moment to appreciate the city. It was spread out over the side of a huge hill, and it seemed to tower up into the evening sky. She sighed at the massive bank of cars each trying to funnel into the bridge. Rowan left the main roads, following the river bank until she found a quiet grassy area well away from the panicking people. She popped out her house, locking the door behind her.

She had no power or running water, since she was not connected to the main lines, and she had never bought the optional generator or tank that these houses could come with. When she had first fled from her father with his credit cards, she had maxed out two on just the basic house, and a third on supplies. She didn't have the means to buy the upgrades, or even a mode of transportation. She had relied on her wit, sheer determination and luck to travel as far as she had in the first place.

Rowan sighed, feeling incredibly good, just to be back in her own home. She felt her heart ache as she saw the lumpy sheet where Cell's old empty shell was. She gently stroked part of the exposed head crest, feeling the cool rigid casing. She stopped, forcing herself away before she started to cry. She made herself dinner, a rather bland affair that consisted of baked beans and dried jerky, and finally crawled into her own, comfortable bed.

She awoke feeling strangely calm. She dressed quickly and relieved herself outside behind some bushes, since her toilet wasn't working. She de capsuled her house and headed towards the city. There were still people trying to get out of the city, but there were fewer cars then there had been the evening before.

She popped out her bike when she was away from the traffic, riding slowly through the eerily empty streets on the outskirts of the city. She avoided going through the middle, managing to find her way by heading in the general direction she wanted to go. Within an hour she was back out of the city, heading North West, along one of the highways. There were very few cars along this arterial road, something that didn't surprise her in the slightest.

The forest gave way to gently sloping fields of wheat and barley. She slowed as she approached a road block. Heavily armoured vehicles and uniformed military men with large guns stood between her and Cell.

 _I didn't even consider this._ She thought, berating herself as she stopped her bike. A military man approached her, holding his gun pointed at the ground.

"I'm sorry miss, but you can't go this way. You will have to turn back." He said in a firm voice. He was young, and he looked tense. He wasn't enjoying being stationed so close to Cell apparently.

"I was just hoping to pass through. My aunt lives on one of the farms on the other side of the hills." She lied. The man frowned.

"I'm sorry miss, but orders are orders."

"But she refuses to leave. Please let me pass, I really have to get her away from Cell." She pleaded, trying to make her face look worried and sad. The man hesitated.

"Wait here please miss." He turned back to his obvious superior. Rowan frowned, hoping that this worked. The man returned a moment later.

"Can you give us the location of your aunt miss? We've evacuated everyone within a 20 mile radius of the monster. If we've missed her, we will provide her with an escort out of the danger zone."

"Oh you've evacuated everyone. To where?" She asked, trying to gloss over things. The man then proceeded to give her very pointed directions to a refugee camp on the southern side of Central City. Rowan was forced to abandon her original plan and she thanked the man before she turned her bike around and drove off.

She stopped when she was sure she was out of sight and considered her options. She looked around at the landscape. The fields would give her little cover if she tried to walk, unless she walked really far away from the roadblock. She wondered what the penalty for trespassing was, as she re capsuled her bike and climbed over the small wire fence into a large field of wheat. The wheat was green, not yet ready to be harvested and about waist high.

She walked away from the road for several minutes. She felt a rumble as she neared the top of a hill, and she turned back to the road, watching as a huge line of tanks and armoured vehicles made their way up the highway, towards where Cells' arena was.

"Oh no…" She gasped as she watched the procession. There were so many vehicles, so many guns, so many tanks… She instinctively ducked as jets roared over her head. She stood back up, watching as the formations of military might all roared towards Cell.

She broke into a run at that, pushing through the fields of wheat, towards the arena.

The field gave way to red earth that became increasingly rocky, and she was forced to stop short, as the ground steeply sloped away beneath her. She had an amazing view of the massive army effort as it circled the arena. The jets hovered in their formations above as the tanks rumbled into position.

The arena seemed so small from where she was, a bright square of glossy white in contrast to the dark red earth it was nestled on. The dust from the army vehicles as they moved created a huge cloud that clogged the air.

Suddenly the army moved in formation, all changing direction to a rocky outcropping away from the arena. Rowan yelled as the entire force of the army was unleashed in a huge wave.

Missiles and rockets fired, leaving behind thick trails of smoke before exploding in a blast of destruction. Guns fired from the jets and all the military personal that surrounded the rocky outcropping emptied their magazines. The sound was deafening, and Rowan grabbed her ears, crouching low.

Her nostrils filled with the gun powder smoke and dust and she choked as the army continued to blast everything at the one spot.

It felt like the attack lasted forever until finally the gunfire stopped and the tanks stood still, their ammunition spent. It took several moments for the dust to clear, revealing the rocky outcropping to be completely destroyed.

"Cell…" Rowan stared in utter disbelief at the small silhouette hovering in the sky above the army. A sudden blast of brilliant golden light in an arch around the army, and the explosion that followed was monstrous.

There were no survivors and no trace that the army had even been there. Cell hadn't just destroyed them, he had completely obliterated them. His attack had scarred the land, leaving a deep crater of destruction in his wake.

Rowan could only watch as the dark spec returned to the centre of his undamaged arena. She was frozen, still stunned at the destruction she had just witnessed, the senseless slaughter of hundreds of humans. Nothing remained to tell who they had been.

She felt sick to her stomach, felt her wound in her chest ache and she fell to her knees, bowing her head in anger and shame.

"This was a mistake." She muttered to herself, feeling her shame rising. "His power, all those people's deaths… it's all my fault…" She felt a tear roll down her cheek, watching as it dropped to the red earth beneath her, darkening a small spot. She finally regained enough of her senses and she wiped her face on the sleeve of her shirt. She looked down at Cell. Even from such a distance, she knew he was looking back at her.

She stared for a moment, before she stood up, balling her fists. She felt the wind tussle her hair, and she turned away from him, walking away from the edge of the cliff, back into the field of wheat. She had expected him to follow her, and she was surprised when she remained alone.

She stopped, well out of sight of the arena, feeling sad, angry and horribly ashamed. She stood there for several minutes, her mind swimming with emotion, before she finally took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down enough to stop shaking. Finally, she set off again.

Rowan had made her way across the field to a large man-made lake. It was common for irrigation purposes for farmers to make their own lakes and let them fill with rain water. Rowan had de-capsuled her house in the field, stripped to her tank top and underwear, and gone for a swim. The water was cool, but refreshing and she needed this more than she had before, recalling how she had been in bed recovering for days and hadn't showered before she had left the Capsule Corp.

She had felt dirty and she had wanted to inspect her wound. The bandage wasn't needed anymore and she discarded it with little ceremony. The wound in her chest was closed, and the skin had scarred over, but it still ached with a dull pain. She ran her fingers over it as she knelt in the shallow water at the edge of the lake. The scar was about the size of her finger nail, but it was puckered and looked like a spidery star. It was to the right of her chest just under her breast, missing her heart by a hairs' breadth. It had punctured her lung, but Bulma and her father had done a miraculous job on that.

Rowan sighed and finally stood up, wringing her hair out and combing the tangles out with her fingers. She would brush it properly later. She threw a towel around her waist and headed towards her house, stopping at the window and turning around to see the scar on her back in the reflection. It was much smaller and had healed better. Her eyes drew towards her shoulder and she frowned. She lifted her arm over her shoulder, her fingers gently running over the scarred flesh.

"I always wondered where that came from." She started, but her eyes narrowed and she didn't move, her eyes locking onto his in the reflection in the window. He was a ways behind her, she could see, watching her closely. But his expression was surprisingly sombre.

"It's not your business, Cell." She said coldly, turning her head to face his. He frowned slightly, but he said nothing. She turned away from him then, opening the door of her house and walking in. He made no attempt to move, and she quickly closed the door behind her. Not that it would stop him if he really wanted to get in.

She sighed, pressing her back against the door and sliding down. She waited for a long time, wondering if he was going to leave. She didn't want to look out the window, knowing in her gut, that he was still there, waiting.

Eventually she picked herself up off the floor and headed to her bedroom, stripping off her wet clothes and dressing herself in clean ones. She chose a pair of track pants and a long sleeved shirt. She took a comb to her hair, giving it a thorough working before she tied it back in her usual pony tail. She sat on the bed, staring at the blank wall, her mind wandering.

Finally, she forced herself to the door, and she opened it. He was standing in the same spot, his arms folded across his chest, his head slightly lowered, his eyes closed. He didn't move. She stepped out, closing the door behind her, and she watched.

A long time passed, and she just studied him, taking in the full extent of changes he had undergone. She approached him cautiously, the grass like wheat cushioning her bare feet. She slowly circled him, her eyes drawn to the barbed tail that was little more than a stub between his glossy black wings. She paused for a while, staring at it, feeling the primal fear begin to rise as she remembered how that had pierced her chest, which began to dully ache. Only it looked less menacing now, smaller and not as sharp. She forced her fear down and completed her circle.

His armour looked different. In his earlier forms, the segmented armour looked like it was a part of his body, natural and fleshy. Now it didn't. It had seams down the middle and it looked less real. More like he was wearing it, than it being a part of him. She noted his boots, yellow like his chin strap, with the black gloss shell like armour over lapping it, much like the shin coverings some labour workers wore. She looked closer at the strange helmet he wore, held to his head with a chin strap.

She could see the edge of it, wondered if she could slide her fingers under it, or if it was really attached to his face. She was almost tempted to try, but she shook it from her system and kept her hands to herself.

His eyes were still closed and he hadn't moved a muscle since she had stepped out of her house. His face was neutral. She wondered if he was asleep.

"You killed a lot of people today." She said quietly. Very slowly, his eyes opened, and his pupils focused on her. The bright pink did not distract from the intelligence, or cruelty that shone in his eyes.

"It was self-defence." He said almost bored.

"Like hell. They couldn't hurt you, and you knew it. You could have let them run." He smirked slightly at this, closing his eyes again.

"I wouldn't worry if I were you. Earth has a new Kami, which means those damnable dragon balls will bring everyone back to life." Rowans eyes widened and her mouth curled into a small 'o'.

"Dragon balls? Kami? You mean, like… like a god?" Cell sighed almost frustrated that he would have to explain.

"There are 7 dragon balls on Earth. When someone gathers them together and summons the eternal dragon, Shenlong, then that person is granted a wish. The dragon balls are linked to the Kami, or, Guardian of Earth. Piccolo recently merged with the original Kami, meaning the dragon balls were rendered useless. However, I noticed a new guardian at the lookout earlier in the day, which means new dragon balls and new wishes. I've no doubt Goku will already be busy hunting down the dragon balls in order to wish back all my victims."

"Wait…. So…. Everyone you've killed?..."

"Will be brought back to life. Yes." He finished. Rowan was stunned.

"And you knew this?" His eyes opened again, a strange shadow flashing across his face.

"I assume. I don't know for certain." She couldn't stop staring at him, looking him in the eye.

"This isn't a lie is it? I mean, magical balls that grants peoples' wishes does seem far-fetched." Cell smirked at this and chuckled, a deep, smooth sound from the depths of his chest.

"I assure you, it is the truth."

"Does that mean all the people you killed before will be resurrected too?" She asked suddenly serious. His smirk vanished.

"Almost everyone. _**He**_ won't be brought back to life." Rowans eyes misted over and she lowered her face, hiding the pain that she knew was showing.

"Why not him?" Cells hand suddenly found her chin, lifting her face back up to his. Rowans' eyes widened in surprise and horror as his free hand tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Because he isn't dead, Rowan." She stepped back then, breaking his gentle touch.

"How?" Her throat tightened and her mouth tasted of ash, and she could barely manage the word. Cell sighed, slowly folding his arms across his chest again.

"When the Cell you remember, absorbed… _Seru_ " Cell began, visibly struggling to explain, "Instead of Cell simply adding the energy to his own, something strange happened. I'm not entirely sure of the details exactly, or even how it happened, but the two _merged_."

"Merged?" She sounded small and scared. He looked down at her with a small frown.

"It is bizarre, I grant you. I have the full recollections of both of them and I no longer consider myself to be either one or the other, but a new Cell, a culmination of power and intelligence. Perfection, embodied." Rowan couldn't believe what she was hearing, and she stared, stunned. Half of her felt her fear clawing at her insides, the other, was numb from the shock of hearing that Seru, in some way, was still alive.

"S… Seru…" She whispered hoarsely. His arrogant smirk softened slightly and for the tiniest second, she saw the warmth in his eyes that she had seen in her old friends. But it was gone in a flash, replaced with the cruelty of the other Cell, who delighted in hunting… and hurting.

"You may call me that if you wish. But everyone else will know me as Cell." He said proudly.

"No! He may be a part of you now, but so is that monster! You can't expect me to ever forgive what you did to me, what you did to him!" Anger seethed through her voice as she spat the words out. His expression steeled at this.

"What happened was despicable. I do regret the memories of that particular incident and what he did to you." His tone was guarded.

"No, you don't get to gloss over it. You don't get to pick and choose. _**You**_ are _ **responsible**_ for everything they both did. Everything!" She felt the tears stinging at her eyes, but she bit them back, refusing to show such weakness in front of Cell.

"Maybe, but _**I**_ wouldn't hurt you Rowan." Cell said quietly, his eyes softened as he frowned.

"But you did." She said quietly, but full of accusation. "You raped me Cell. You raped me, and then you killed the man I loved." Her chest ached horribly, and despite her anger and her pride, she couldn't stop the tears that fell as she spoke the last word, knowing it was the truth. She hung her head, unable to look him in the eye now. He was silent for a while, confused, and unsure.

"Rowan… if I did do… that, then I was also the one who spent four years with you and I was also the one who made love with you in the forest… And… I was also the one who failed to protect you. I have the memories of one Cell impaling you to absorb the other. And I also have the memories of holding you while we were both impaled." She wiped her eyes, forcing her resolve to stand, before she looked up again, staring into his eyes.

She saw him then. He was in pain, confused and small. His arrogance and pride were gone. That monster she had seen in him was nowhere to be seen. She saw Seru... She suddenly threw herself at him, her fists against his chest as she buried her face against him as everything overwhelmed her and she cried. His arms wrapped around her gently and he brought his face down to her hair.

He gently stroked her hair with one hand, while the other held her close. He felt her body tremble as she sobbed.

Eventually, she calmed down, but she didn't move, didn't lift her face or step out of his embrace.

"I miss him." She said softly against his chest. "I miss him so much."

"I'm still here, Rowan."

"No, he's not. Not really." Finally she moved her voice stony. She wiped her face on her sleeve again and stepped away from him. He let her go. She finally looked up at him, her eyes red and her face flushed, but she was resolute.

"You aren't my Seru. But you aren't that other thing either." She said quietly. He closed his eyes, sighing as he folded his arms again.

"No, I suppose not." Rowan looked at him for a while, the tiny crease in the corner of his mouth as he frowned, the tense line of his jaw. He might have looked bored to anyone else, but to her, he looked hurt.

She stared at him, seeing him in a different light then she had before, knowing that she was the only person in the world that would ever see this side of him. Even as she watched, his face slid back into neutral, the little lines disappearing and his tension easing. He was hiding behind his walls. Silently, she wished she could do that as easily as he could.

Cell turned inwards, his mind was a chaotic wreck. The merger between the two Cells had been a terrible experience. He had not been expecting that to happen, and he knew that if either of the previous Cells' had known what would happen, they would have flatly killed the other instead of trying to absorb them. He was something entirely different now. He had the complete data from the computer programming and all the information that Seru had absorbed from the internet, and he had the cool intellect and problem solving skills of his sharp mind as well.

But he also had the blood thirsty, cruel and primal streak, a hunger to make people suffer. Their twisted faces of fear delighted him. The only thing that the two Cells had agreed upon was Rowan.

Although they had different reasons for the attraction, never the less, Cell was drawn to her. Even now he felt the tug, the urge to be close to her, to make her smile and to smell that delicious scent of hers, to touch her warm skin, to feel her soft hair…

Cell's eyes opened and he snarled inwards, berating himself, as he fought to regain control over his body. He needed to stop that. She was dangerous to him, he knew. She was his weakness, his only weakness in an otherwise perfect body. But she was also, his strength. He had felt the power increase from her body, not once, but twice, and that power… Cell felt himself tremble. Part of him only cared about that, the power she could give. Not that he needed it. He knew he was a league above and beyond the Z warriors.

But part of him enjoyed more than just her body, that part also enjoyed her company. That part wanted… more than just sex.

He considered everything that had happened. The power he had obtained after the merger was astronomical. Nothing could stop him then, and now that he had absorbed both the androids, his power was beyond absurd. He had toyed with the warriors who had stood against him, enjoying the torment and their utter defeat. But he hadn't killed them. He was a sadistic being, and wanted to draw out their suffering, and make the world watch.

So he had announced the tournament. It had been a brilliant idea. He had created his arena, making it larger than the ' _Strongest Under the Heavens'_ tournament arena. He was proud of his handiwork, admiring the perfectly proportioned angles and smooth handiwork of the pillars.

But he had grown bored very quickly, his sharp intellect needing stimulation. He had gone looking for Rowan. He travelled to the wasteland where the merger had taken place. He had found her capsule case in amongst the tattered shreds of her clothes, a sight that made him angry. He knew Piccolo had taken her away, and he assumed she was either at the Kame House, the Lookout Tower or Capsule Corp. His first guess was Capsule Corp, and he had been right. He had found her easily, locking onto her energy in one of the upstairs rooms. He had let himself in to her room via the balcony. Seeing her lying in bed, beaten, bloodied and injured had struck him a mighty blow, one he hadn't been expecting.

He wasn't sure if he did it out of concern, regret or purely because he wanted her up and about so he wouldn't be bored, but he had gently touched her hand, giving some of his energy to her, forcing her body to rapidly heal.

He had watched from the corner of the room as she woke shortly after, responding on instinct to his presence. But she didn't see him. And he had watched her, seen her vulnerable, seen her suffering. Even his sadistic streak had given him little pleasure in the real pain she bore.

After she left the room, he made his decision. He wanted her away from the Z warriors before they discovered her gift. But he wasn't going to kidnap her either. So, instead, he had given her the freedom of choice, although he was confident that her curiosity would win out. He thought he knew her well.

But she had surprised him once again, choosing to travel away from his arena rather than towards it. He had followed her at a distance, up high and out of sight.

Eventually, he realized why she wouldn't sate her curiosity. Something that was glaringly obvious. She was worried he would use her again. The thought disgusted him; his pride was too great to sink to such savagery again. But she didn't know that.

He had actually enjoyed toying with her at the service station, until she had stopped him killing the clerk. His respect for Rowan, overpowered his sadistic desire to kill the insolent little worm that had dared to attack him. This gave him cause for concern at the time, but he had brushed it aside quickly.

Cell had all the power in the world and he knew nothing would stop him. Not even Son Goku, but he still looked forward to the tournament with relish. 6 days to go.

Rowan had left him to his musings, returning to her house. She needed to escape him, to think, to figure things out.

She felt so small, so utterly alone. She wished she had someone to talk to. She thought of 16, for just a moment, and felt a pang of shame. He had been good to talk to and the Briefs had saved her life, fixed her up and shown her hospitality. She had repaid them by stealing food and running away.

She thought about packing up her stuff and going back. She wouldn't be safe from Cell, but she would be amongst good people, friends. She frowned as she thought of Mary and of Bulmas' baby. If she went back, she knew Cell might follow her, and she would put them at risk. It was something she couldn't do.

 _But what then?_ She thought. _Stay? That doesn't seem like a good idea either. He confuses me, this new Cell, and I'm both terrified of him, and drawn to him. I know that he can do whatever he wants. He's already demonstrated that running is pointless; he can track me and my energy. But he seems honour bound, at least enough, that if I ask him too, I'm fairly confident he will leave me alone. But then what?_

Rowan sighed, her head began to ache. She collapsed on her bed, staring up the ceiling as her mind wandered. What should she do now? Well at the very least, she couldn't stay here. She didn't have any power or any running water. All she had was the little lake outside, and the dried food she had stolen from Bulma.

Thankful for giving herself a task, something to do to distract her, she busied herself, dressing herself warmly and slipping back into the waterproof jacket. She tucked her hair under the neck line and headed back outside.

Cell was gone.

"Probably back at his arena." She thought out loud. She wondered, for just a moment, if she should go and tell him her plan. "Nah, he'll figure it out."

She de-capsuled her house, packing it away neatly in the case, and she began to walk towards the road.

It was late afternoon by the time she reached the road. The day had flown by, but it had also felt like it had lasted ages, so much had happened. She had travelled from the river, through the city, been stopped by the army, only to then watch them get destroyed. She had swum in a lake, and then discovered that her best friend wasn't dead so much, as he was now a part of a new being. It was a lot to take in for one day.

Rowan popped out her bike on the road, mounting it and looking in both directions. She wasn't sure which way to go. She hesitated, wondering if the road block was still up the road. She decided to risk it, and she took off towards the direction of the arena.

The road block was gone, only some bollards with a large sign warning of the impending danger and to 'travel at your own risk.' Rowan nodded her acknowledgement and drove around the bollards, accelerating as she got back onto the open road.

A grassy paddock blocked her view for a moment, until it suddenly gave way to the scarred red earth that marked the destruction of the army earlier. The road was still thankfully, un-damaged, but the sight made her sad. She could see the arena, the glossy white marble reflecting the setting suns' light, giving it a pink and gold hue. She could see him standing in the middle, his head bowed, his arms folded. It was at a distance, but not so far as to not see his head lift, looking at her.

She turned her attention back to the road as it sloped around and away from the arena, eventually disappearing around a rocky outcropping and over a hill.

She slowed as she crested the hill, spotting a small pocket of civilization. Not even a town, just a general store that doubled as a post office and a handful of houses on large rural properties. On the other side of the town was a huge lake, a real lake, surrounded by pebbled beaches and a huge forest on the far side that was swallowed in the shadow of a large mountain. She turned back to the town and the large rural fields that surrounded the town.

"Orchards." She observed. She could see the neat rows of trees, although she couldn't tell the type from so far. It seemed promising though, and she drove down the hill towards the town.

She passed an orange orchard and what she guessed were lemons in another. She stopped when she saw the apple trees, their boughs heavy with the ripe red fruits.

"Oh that is fantastic." She exclaimed, jumping over the small wire fence and running up to the nearest tree. They were taller than she realized from the road, and she had to jump to reach the lowest branch, shaking it. Several ripe apples fell to the ground, along with a rain of leaves. Rowan quickly gathered them up, securing all but one of them in her bag. She quickly polished the apple in her hand on her shirt, and bit into it. It was, without a doubt, the sweetest thing she had ever tasted in her life, and she relished it with a heady groan of pleasure.

"Sounds like you're enjoying that." She whirled around at the sound of his voice. He was standing under a tree in the next row over, the shadows of the gently swaying leaves making his speckled armour almost invisible in the diminishing light. But his face stood out amongst the darkness. He didn't have the camouflage of his earlier forms.

Rowan didn't answer, but slipped another apple from her bag, tossing it at him. His movement was graceful, and incredibly quick. The large red apple was dwarfed in his hand, his black nails digging into the red flesh, causing it to ooze its sweet juice.

"I really don't need to eat." He said flatly. Rowan swallowed, licking her lips.

"These are the sweetest apples I've ever tasted. You should at least, experience it."

Cell stared at her for a long time, holding the apple as he had caught it. Finally, he put it to his lips, and took a small bite.

It was the first thing he had eaten since he had obtained his perfect form. His new body came with new senses, and he realized, as he bit the apple, that his sense of taste was much more acute in this body then it had been in his larval form, when he had eaten everything and anything.

The apple was amazing. His face must have shown it, because Rowan started to laugh.

"See! You shouldn't be so quick to refuse to try something!" She said, still smiling. The laugh had reached her eyes. Cell slowly smirked, and took another bite, savouring the sweet taste and crisp texture. She gathered up a few more apples that had fallen from other trees until her bag was over flowing. She turned back to her bike, heard his footsteps following her.

"I've got to find somewhere to stay. My house doesn't have running water or power. No hot water or lights." She said over her shoulder. She took some of the apples from her bag, packing them into the storage bags on her bike, making the shoulder bag more comfortable to carry.

She mounted the bike, looking at Cell. He stopped a few paces away, simply watching, and the half-eaten apple still in his hand.

"I guess I'll see you around Cell. Try not to kill anyone else, please." She said a little sternly, before the bike roared into life. She smiled as she rapidly accelerated down the road, loving the extra roar as she slipped between gears. She glanced in the mirrors; saw him standing where she had left him, a rapidly disappearing speck in the distance.

By the time Rowan arrived in the heart of the town, the last of the light had faded. She slowed down as she drove down the road, looking for an empty lot or caravan park or something with utility boxes sticking out of the ground for her to set her house up. She gasped as he flew overhead, landing to the left on a side road. He was glowing gold, a beacon in the darkness. She paused a moment, before she turned down the side road, following him. He took off again down the road, towards the huge lake she had seen earlier.

He landed again a ways down the road and Rowan slowed, her headlights illuminating a sign,

 **Nutmeg Lake and Caravan Park**

She slowed down, as she entered the caravan park, a huge clearing of gravel and small grassy areas, surrounded by trees. A brick reception building stood empty and dark. There was a public bathroom as well, but it too was dark.

There were no caravans, no tents, or anything else of note. There were, however, utility boxes for people to plug their camper vans into. It's what she had been hoping for. She set to work cracking out the torch, as she ran the connectors to her house. Satisfied, she went inside and flicked on the power, laughing as the lights turned on. She tested the kitchen sink, the pipes groaning for a moment before the water began to run.

She ate another apple as she waited for the water system to heat enough water to run a bath. She wanted nothing more than to soak in hot, soapy water. She slipped outside though.

Cell was still standing near the office building, his golden glow was gone, but she could see him clearly, a dark figure in the clearing. His black shelled chest and shoulders reflecting the yellow light that flooded from her window.

"Thank you Cell." She said loudly. He gave her a curt nod of approval, before his wings flared open and he blasted off again, back towards his arena, leaving her alone for the night.

Rowan woke slowly, her bed was warm and comfortable and the air was chilly and still. Her chest ached dully and it took her longer than usual to slowly get up, wrapping herself in her old bathrobe for the extra warmth; before she ambled into the kitchen, setting the kettle on to boil. She ran her fingers through her hair. She must have slept well; her hair was a mess, sticking out in every direction. She looked at her reflection in the microwave glass, trying to smooth her hair down, and eventually giving up.

The kettle boiled and she grabbed her favourite mug from the cupboard. Only she stopped herself. She moved to the front door, and opened it. She wasn't surprised. She had been expecting him. He was standing near the edge of the clearing, his arms folded across his chest, his head lowered. The sun was up, but just barely cresting the mountain ranges. Birds sung loudly to greet the morning, unfazed by the tyrant. Rowan frowned and turned back to the kettle. She set out a second cup and brewed the tea.

He didn't move when she approached him, her eyes squinting in the bright light, taking a moment to adjust. She stood next to him for a while, enjoying the warmth of the sun light in the chilly morning air. She sipped her tea noisily, and slowly his eyes opened. She held out the second mug but didn't look at him.

He took it, his fingers brushing hers for just a moment. The chill of his flesh shocked her, sending a shiver down her spine.

"You're freezing." She said. He smirked at this.

"I don't freeze." He said simply. He held the mug but made no attempt to drink it. Rowan held hers in both her hands, letting the warmth soak her. Despite the tea and the sun, it was still quite cold.

"I'm going inside. It's too cold out here." She didn't wait for him to respond and she headed back inside. She paused at the door, looking at him before disappearing inside. The door remained open.

Rowan sat on the couch, turning the TV on as she finished off her tea. She heard his footsteps approach after a moment, saw him duck his head to fit in the door. He couldn't stand upright all the way, his strange helmet was too tall, touching the ceiling. He frowned, placing his tea on the little counter to the right of the door.

Rowan's eyes widened in shock as Cells' hands slipped behind his ears, and in one fluid movement, slipped the helmet off causing a cascade of black hair to fall in his face.

She stared in absolute shock, her mouth open, and her eyes wide. Cell's eyes narrowed at her and he ran one hand through his loose black hair, sweeping it back, out of his face. He placed the helmet on the table, picking up his tea.

She said nothing. He said nothing. He stood near the couch, his attention on the muted TV. She stared at him, still shocked and surprised.

"You… You have _hair_." She said, her voice squeaking. Slowly, Cell sipped his tea. She saw the tiniest tint of lavender in his cheeks, but he didn't take his eyes off the TV screen. He didn't look at her.

"Wow, you really did change." She finally managed. She finally turned to the TV and frowned. The image was on the arena, but it was empty. She saw the words _Live Broadcast_ written above the words _Cell Watch_ in bold letters on the bottom of the screen. The sound was muted. A moment later, the camera focused on to a reporter, standing on a ledge above the arena. He was a middle aged man, greying with smart eyes, full of determination, a frown on his face as he spoke.

"I should go." Cell said, turning to leave.

"Wait. What does it matter? So what if they're at your arena. What can they do?" He turned to face her then, a smirk forming.

"I can't let them think I'm gone Rowan." Her face fell and she stood up. She knew her hair was a mess, framing her face wildly, and she wore only pyjamas and a bathrobe, but she puffed her chest out and drew herself up as tall as she could, her eyes hard and her mouth frowning.

"Don't you dare hurt them, Cell." He chuckled and turned back, picking up his helmet. He slid it on, adjusting the yellow strap on his chin as he looked back at her.

"I won't kill them. I'll just… Put the fear of Cell in them." His voice was cold, sadistic and full of pleasure. His eye was bright with the cruelty of the Other Cell. She shivered, her bravado vanishing under that look. Her fear must have shown cos his eye narrowed as his smirk broadened. But he left quickly, taking a few steps before he blasted into the air.

Rowan didn't want to watch the TV, but she couldn't help herself. She kept the volume off and hugged her knees to her chest as she watched.

The reporter went from a hard look, to sudden absolute terror, the camera whirling around to see Cell's hard shelled chest, before dropping down towards the ground, swinging wildly. She saw the camera man's feet, the dirt, and the occasional green of Cell's leg or a glint of black shell.

It lasted only a moment, before the camera dropped. Cells yellow boot appeared in front of the lens, and then his leg, his waist, his chest, and then his face as he obviously picked the camera up. He bore a huge sadistic grin, and she could see his Adams apple move as he laughed. And then with a twitch, the camera feed was lost. He had destroyed the camera.

"Ass hat." She murmured. She stared angrily at the screen, as a pair of news anchors appeared behind a desk. They looked nervous and scared as they talked to the camera. Rowan lost herself in her own thoughts, barely registering the words on the news reel on the bottom of the screen, until it was replaced with the bold words;

 **Reporters Survive Cells' attack!**

"Good. Jerk." She said angrily to the TV, but inwardly she felt a little better. She had seen the Other Cell in him, seen the way he truly enjoyed terrifying the reporter and the camera man. She had seen him the way everyone else saw him. She had seen the way he really was and that saddened her.

She felt conflicted again, and she sighed, exasperated. She was struggling to get her head around this new Cell.

It was noon, and Rowan was growing restless. She stood on the edge of the lake, her jeans rolled up to her knees, her feet in the delightfully cold water. The day had warmed up, and the sun shone warmly down on her, reflecting silver on the water's surface. She was tempted to go swimming, but thought better of it. She had been expecting Cell to drop in again, to annoy her, but as the day had stretched on, she began to think he wouldn't.

"Maybe I should go visit his arena." She mused to herself. It wasn't a bad idea, she could berate him just as easily there as she could if he came to her. And the idea of going for a ride on her bike was delightfully tempting.

Rowan packed some food for a snack in her bag and slipped on her jacket before she slung her bag over her shoulder. She locked her house and popped out her bike. Within minutes she was back on the main road, loving the wind in her hair. She left it out, letting it whip out around her like an auburn cape.

Cells' arena came into view as she rounded the rocky outcropping and she slowed as she approached the arena. She stopped, dismounting and capsuling her bike before she headed off across the wide red scar in the earth.

Cells' arena was huge up close, a massive expanse of white polished marble, with simple steps along the sides and ornate pillars in the corner. Cell was standing in the centre, his eyes closed, his arms folded, as he usually was. She stood at the edge of the arena, not sure if she should step up. It seemed wrong to her for some reason, almost like she wasn't worthy.

Cell didn't move, didn't acknowledge her. She sighed nasally and stepped up, turned and sat on the edge of the arena. It was warm from baking in the sun light. She pulled a sandwich from her bag, unwrapping it and taking a bite. She stared around the area, noticed how peaceful it was. Red rocky cliffs and out cropping's littered the landscape, intermittent with grassy patches and large marble rocks. There was a gentle breeze making the grass dance.

Rowan glanced over her shoulder back at Cell. Still nothing. She turned back, finishing her sand which off, before she stood up, dusting herself off. She hesitated a moment before she stepped up into the arena, making her way towards Cell.

She stopped in front of him, staring up at his unmoving face. She thought of the hair he hid under his helmet and absently wondered if all his armour came off now. She blushed at the thought and shook it from her system, although she couldn't deny, he had looked good with his helmet off.

"You know, it's rude to stare." He said suddenly. She started at the sound, catching herself quickly. She felt the warmth in her cheeks, and watched as his eyes slowly opened. His mouth lifted into his trade-mark smirk, obviously enjoying her embarrassment.

"Yeah well, it's rude to scare people and break cameras too." She said meekly. He chuckled, that deep, smooth voice.

"So, what do you think of my arena?" He said, unfolding his arms. She heard the pride and his voice and she looked around again, noting the smaller details of the pointed pillars.

"You did a good job. But I'm not sold on the idea of a tournament." She said after a moment. His eyes narrowed slightly.

"Would you prefer I just take over the Earth now, without giving the Z warriors a chance to grow stronger?" She frowned at this, staring up at his face intently.

"No. I'd rather you didn't fight them at all. You achieved perfection. You reached your goal, why make the world suffer?" His smirk fell at this and she saw the glint in his eye fade. He did not answer for a while, thinking.

"I have the greatest power known to exist. I could destroy Earth if I really wanted to. I want to find out the scope of my limits, and I know Goku at least, will give me a good fight. I am a warrior, Rowan. I need to fight."

"And you couldn't just casually challenge him to a fight without all the flair and attention?" She asked flatly. His smirk returned.

"That wouldn't be as much fun." She sighed.

"You are a jerk." This earned her a deep laugh.

"You knew I was made to fight, to feel the thrill of battle, the surge of power. You knew it when you slept with me in the forest that night. You probably knew it before then too." He said, leaning forward, his face lowering to hers. She scowled.

"I did that to help Seru so he could Kill Cell and stop him from murdering people." She felt angry suddenly, and very annoyed. He had a way of getting under her skin.

"Not because you wanted to?" He asked. He was smirking, but his eyes were hard, unreadable. She paused, giving herself a moment to think of her answer.

"I did want to." She finally admitted. "I don't regret that night." Her voice was quiet.

"Neither do I." His face was close to hers now, and she didn't flinch as his hand rose to her face. He gently tucked some of her hair behind her ear, a motion she was used to now. She looked away, not wanting to see the look in his face. She knew that look. His face had changed shape, but the look was the same and it hurt her to see it, bringing back the memories of that night in the forest, of the gentle but hungry way Seru had loved her.

His hand was still by her face and gently the back of his fingers stroked her cheek, until they slid behind her head. She let him pull her into a kiss then. She thought of Seru, tears pricking her eyes as Cell's lips pressed to hers. He deepened the kiss, and she tasted him, and it was the same taste as Seru's', sweet, but not overpowering.

He let her go after a while, realizing that tears were falling down her cheek. She lowered her face, wiping her eyes on her sleeve.

"Sorry." She mumbled, "I should go." She turned to leave. Cell grabbed her wrist, stopping her. She didn't look at him though, not wanting to show her face. Her long hair tumbled over her shoulder, and down her back, hiding her.

"Rowan."

"Let me go Cell." Her voice was stern.

"Why are you crying?" He didn't let her go.

"Please, let me go." She asked again. He stepped closer, still holding her wrist, and used his free hand to turn her face to his. Her eyes narrowed in a cold anger. The tears had stopped. It had only been a moment of weakness and she was determined not to let it show. He kissed her again but this time she pushed him away and struggled to free herself from the grip he still had on her wrist.

She yanked her hand free, but the force caused her to stumble and she fell down. She flicked her hair from her face, tossing it over her shoulder and she stared up at him, sad and angry.

"Rowan, what's wrong?" He asked sincerely. She sighed and slowly stood back up.

"You just… You confuse me. That's all." He frowned at her answer, his eyes darkening with some brooding thought for a moment. He stood back up straight, folding his arms across his chest again. He said nothing, and she took it as her que to leave. She hurried from the arena, feeling like such a stupid little girl.

She threw her bike capsule on the road, watching as it materialized. She stared at it for a moment, her mind racing. She looked back at Cell, he was watching her still, his pink eyes unblinking, staring and full of sadness…

She mounted the bike, taking off with more force than she had intended, blasting off down the road.

Cell stared after her, feeling his mind racing, twisting, conflicted and at war. He was deciding if he should let her go, or chase after her.

The instinct driven, hunter side of him wanted to give chase. The smarter part of him told him to give her time, let her calm down.

The hunter won. His wings opened and he blasted after her.

Up on the cliff, far from the arena, a camera lens glinted in the light. It had captured everything.

 **Thank you again for taking the time to read this and for the reviews! They help me improve as a writer and I am grateful. Please enjoy the story!**


	7. VII

**A/N: I am so sorry I haven't updated sooner. I got distracted drawing pictures while procrastinating on how these scenes should play out. To make it up to you fantastic people, I've made this chapter extra-long.**

 **As with most my chapters, fair warning, this contains adult themes.**

 **I hope you enjoy the read and Thank You for taking the time to read it! Please leave me a review to let me know what you think.**

Bulma's' eye brows furrowed together as she frowned, her attention focused entirely on the monitors that glared at her from the wall. She was trying to understand the super-complex engineering of the layout of computer components within android 16s' head.

"Gero was a genius." She muttered out loud. "A complete lunatic and he was definitely deranged and evil, but still, he was a genius." She turned towards the android that was still lying on the table. His black leotard had been removed as Doctor Briefs had opened the chest cavity, and was in the process of replacing some of the electrical wiring that ran from the damaged head into the body.

16 had his face tilted to the side, allowing Bulma to work on his head, but she had stopped, taking a few moments to review the scans on the monitor, before turning back to the charred hole in his head.

"It's a shame he used his brilliance for such cruelty. Imagine the good he could have done." Doctor Briefs mumbled absently as he carefully slipped a cable into place, using tweezers to gently connect it back into the socket.

"Rowan." 16's monotone voice suddenly snapped both the briefs' from their work. They looked at 16, and then followed his gaze to the small TV set that was sitting on the bench, muted.

The image was blurred and slightly out of focus, but it was still clearly Cell, grasping Rowans' wrist, pulling her towards him as she struggled to get away. It was a still image, a single frame. Her face was turned away from the tyrant in distress. The media was selling it as a damsel in distress story.

"That… Bastard!" Bulma snarled. She put her tools down and quickly ran up the stairs.

"Wait, Honey!" Doctor Briefs yelled at her, but sighed as she ignored him. "I have no idea where she gets that spirit from." He said with small smile. He glanced back at the screen, watching as a reporters' face appeared, the still image shrinking to a small corner of the screen as the reporter talked.

Bulma stormed into the kitchen a moment later, grabbing the phone. She punched a speed dial, waiting a moment.

"Roshi, is Goku there? No? Piccolo? Damnit, what about Krillin? Good, put him on. NO, there's no time to explain! Just hurry up." Her voice was angry, and she snapped rudely. "Krillin, did you see the news? That girl is named Rowan. I need you to go to the lookout, get the others. You have to get her away from Cell. Don't ask me why, just do it! It's important. No, damnit, just do it Krillin." She hung up the phone violently slamming the receiver back in the cradle on the wall. She sighed, brushing the hair from her face and hoping Krillin would hurry up.

Bulma felt tense. She knew Rowans' secret, felt the knot of fear in her guts and hoped Cell didn't use her. He was already terrifyingly powerful, and she knew how badly the others were worried. If his power increased any more, it would be truly hopeless.

She was snapped from her dark thoughts as she heard Trunks' wake and begin to cry from his nap in the crib downstairs in the basement, and she quickly ran back down to comfort him. She had done what she could; she left Rowans' fate to Krillin and the other Warriors.

Rowan felt the stinging bite of the wind against her cheeks, made worse by the tears that freely fell. Her hair billowed around her like an auburn cape, and the sun shone brightly down on the orchards as she drove past them. It was warm and beautiful, but she felt only numb. Numb, and stupid. She grit her teeth in anger, but mostly she felt ashamed.

' _Ashamed that he's under my skin'._ She thought to herself. Even her internal voice was bitter and angry. ' _I've never felt like such a stupid girl before. It's like I'm back in school. Only this isn't school… This is Cell. He's a tyrant. A sadistic, cruel and evil android, with world domination as his goal. Not just that, but he has the power to achieve it. He could kill me if he wanted to. But he doesn't… But Why? It would be so much easier for him if I wasn't in the picture. I suppose it's because of the energy I can give him. Or is it more?'_

' _I need to know... Is it me he wants or just the power?'_

Rowan felt her eyes dry in the wind, and she quickly wiped her face on her sleeve. She felt conflicted, because despite all his faults, all his arrogance and pride… She still saw in him, the intelligent, kind and loving being she had become so attached to. But Cell wasn't her Seru, although some of his mannerisms and his personality traits were apparent in this new Cell. It made her chest ache as she thought about it.

Even as her mind warred within, she sub-consciously licked her lips. She could still taste him. And it was a good taste. She couldn't stop herself from thinking of the image of him this morning, holding a cup of tea in her house, his attention on the TV, but a hint of blush in his cheeks, his long and soft hair hanging loosely around his face.

 _"_ Ugh, I need to stop that." Rowan shook her head, bringing her focus back to the road. She slowed down and turned left onto the smaller road that led to the lake and the caravan park. She almost screamed, as Cell blasted overhead towards her house, his aura so bright it hurt to look at. She felt the blast of wind a moment later, not severe, but enough to make her brace the bike.

"Man, he just can't take a hint!" Rowan grit her teeth, feeling her anger seethe within herself and she throttled the accelerator, the engine roaring under her in response.

Despite her anger, she tried to maintain her control as she pulled up next to her house. Cell was standing outside the door, arms folded, cold pink eyes watching her every move as she dismounted her bike.

"You! You can't, just, go away? Leave me alone for like 5 minutes?!" She sounded more annoyed than angry, her control was surprisingly tight.

"Need I remind you that I was leaving you alone? _You_ came to my arena, _you_ instigated our conversation, and then _you_ refused to give me an explanation before _you_ stormed off." His own anger and irritation were apparent as he emphasized each 'you'. Rowan couldn't stop herself from snarling at him. She stormed closer to him until she was only a foot away, pointing her finger in his face.

"You're an insufferable jerk, Cell! I told you I was confused! I just can't deal with you right now. Go away." Cell's eyes narrowed as she vented, and as she turned towards her door, he snatched the wrist of the hand she had been waving in his face.

"You're being very rude, Rowan." His voice was quiet, but it was full of ice. It was a warning.

"I'm so sorry Cell, not everyone can be gregarious and proper. Some of us have emotions. Some of us aren't robots." One of his eyes narrowed as he frowned.

"I'm an android, not a robot."

"You're just proving my point!" She threw her un-held hand up in the air in a frustrated gesture. "You just don't…" She never got to finish her sentence. Cell's actions were far too fast for her to keep track of, as he almost lunged at her, pressing his lips to hers. At first it was a hard kiss, something to make her shut up, but it quickly turned soft as he pulled her into his embrace.

She didn't resist him as he deepened the kiss, tasting him again. He ended it quickly, licking his lips with a triumphant smirk on his face. She felt her face flush with colour at the surprisingly arousing look.

"You always did talk too much." He said smugly. He lifted one hand from her back, gently tucking her hair behind her ear again.

"Why do you do that?" She asked quietly, trying to read his face. He arched a brow, lifting the ridge of his helmet.

"Do what exactly?"

"Tuck my hair behind my ear. Seru used to do that too." Cell blinked slowly.

"You know, I'm not sure why I do that. Does it bother you?" She shook her head in reply.

"No I… Kind of like it. It's just… Well stuff like that is why you confuse me. You're supposed to be the bad guy, but so much of you reminds me of him. And he wasn't a bad guy. Not really." Cell frowned, and reluctantly, he let her go. She didn't step back, but watched his face.

"I know that it's hard for you to accept it when I say it, but I am Seru."

"But you're not. Seru wouldn't be holding a tournament and threatening to hunt down and kill every human on this planet for his own sadistic pleasure if he isn't beaten. Seru wouldn't have killed all those army people. And I don't think Seru would be screwing around with me the way you are. He might be a part of you, but you aren't Seru. I wish you'd stop saying that you're Seru." Very gently Cell lifted her face to his. His eyes were full of concern and sincerity. She wasn't distressed as she had been at the arena, but a few stray tears had still escaped to roll down her cheeks as she spoke.

Gently he used his thumb, wiping away a tear. He didn't say anything, but he didn't need to. She accepted his kiss as he lowered his face to hers gently. It was more for comfort than to sate any desire, and she felt her arms snake around his neck as he pulled her close. She broke the kiss, and just put her face against his shoulder. She didn't cry, but she felt overwhelmed and she closed her eyes to collect herself. His arms were warm, but the shell of his chest and shoulder were cool, and it was strangely refreshing.

He toyed with her hair with one hand, gently letting her auburn waves roll through his fingers. His other hand held her close to him, and he could feel her steady breathing. He lowered his face to her hair, taking a deep breath, smelling the fain whiff of her strawberry shampoo… And of her. It was so intoxicating to him, it was like a drug, despite having lived with her for 4 years, and he still didn't have immunity to that smell. It played havoc with his mind.

Finally, Rowan lifted herself from his shoulder and looked up at his face. He stared back for a moment, before he kissed her again. It wasn't an aggressive kiss, but she could feel his need for her as it was more passionate than the last. She lost herself for a moment, loving his taste, and his warmth as he held her against his body.

Until one of his hands slipped down her waist, lifting her shirt to feel her soft and warm skin on her lower back. Rowan groaned and broke the kiss.

"No Cell, we can't." He grunted in protest, kissing her again this time more hungrily. She was almost tempted by his intensity. His hunger for her was arousing, and she could feel her own body responding to his, but her mind screamed at her.

"No, can't…" She said as he gently bit her lip. He wasn't listening to her. "Stop…" It was a feeble protest, even to her ears. He moved his attention to her neck, nibbling on the tender flesh there. She couldn't stop the moan that escaped her throat then, and his hands tightened in response. She felt herself teetering on the edge, the divide between what she wanted and what she knew was right.

"Cell, you have to stop, we can't do this." Her voice was a little sterner. There was no way she could give him more power. He was already terrifying. She could see his eyes, half lidded and clouded with his hungry desire as he breathed in her scent.

"No." He replied, not letting her go and he continued to tease the flesh of her neck. Alarm bells rang in Rowans' head as she remembered the monster's savage attack.

She had fought him, fought with everything she had, pushing, kicking and thrashing as he had pinned her to the ground. Her protest had earned her a savage backhand across the jaw. It had stunned her, just long enough for him to get what he wanted. The memories turned her heated blood to ice in a heartbeat. A shiver ran down her spine and her anger flared.

"CELL, Damnit, stop!" She had fury in her voice, and it worked. His eyes opened and he jerked his head back, looking down at her for a moment before he reluctantly, let her go. She stepped back several steps, putting distance between them. She stared at him, angry and ashamed.

"Rowan" He began. She shook her head.

"No, I won't give you more energy! You're the bad guy. I have to keep reminding myself, you want to hurt people. I can't do that. I can't be responsible. Not anymore than I already am." Cell's look of hurt was masked by a steel look that crept over his features. "I'm sorry Cell." She added quietly. She finally looked him in the eye. She could see the hurt in his eyes, despite his stony face. He gave her a small nod, and could only watch as he retreated, blasting into the sky in a flash of golden power, sending up a rain of small rocks and dust.

Rowan sighed. It had been too close for comfort. But she had stopped him.

 _'The why do I feel like I just did something wrong?'_ She asked herself mentally. She could smell herself, and she wrinkled her nose. She would have to deal with that. She stared at the lake and considered going for a swim, but she didn't have the heart to do something playful and she turned back to her house, and headed for the bathroom.

After her shower, Rowan threw herself on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. She was lost in thought, and she felt terrible.

 _'Guilty'_ She corrected herself internally. _'Guilty, because I wanted him in that moment. Betrayed by my own body, because I wanted the tyrant who wants to conquer the world. Damnit. And I can't stop thinking about him._ ' Rowan closed her eyes and tried to think things through. Instead, she fell asleep.

She woke with a start. The light in the window was fading. It was late afternoon, early evening. She heard her stomach rumble in protest of the meagre meals of late and she finally slid off her bed, stretching as she headed out the door.

She froze, shocked to see Cell in her kitchen, his helmet off, and his hair hanging around his face. He lifted his face to look at her, a small smirk.

"Good evening." He greeted her. She was surprised and it must have shown on her face, because his small smirk turned into a wide grin.

"Uh, Hi Cell." She slowly approached him as the kettle boiled. She noticed the two mugs on the counter in front of him.

"Tea?" She nodded as she sat herself at the stool in front of the kitchen bench, watching as he brewed the tea. She was amazed at just how incredible his body was. Even something as simple as making tea was done with surprising grace. His fingers were long, but strong and his ebony nails were a stark contrast to his cream-white skin.

He offered her the mug, and she took it with a smile. Her fingers brushed against his, and she felt his warmth, a small shiver running down her back in response. She sipped her tea, trying to distract herself.

"Wow, this is good tea." She said, genuinely surprised. He smirked as he took a silent sip of his own. They sat in silence for a while, drinking their tea. Rowan couldn't hide her smile, as she mused about the fact that she was having tea with the tyrant in her house, as if it was perfectly normal.

 _I Suppose to me, this is kind of normal. Seru and I used to sit on the couch most nights while I drank tea and he read a book and I watched TV._

"Penny for your thoughts?" His question caught her off guard, and she realized she had been staring at the wall for several seconds as her mind wandered.

"Sorry Cell, I was just thinking about things." He arched his eyebrow, a motion that was much more effective without his helmet on. His brilliant pink eyes were surprisingly warm, and she realized that he had been enjoying the moment too.

"Oh.. Um.. I was wondering… What you're planning to do after the tournament?" She asked a little meekly. Cell hummed for a moment as he thought.

"Well, in all honesty, I'm not entirely sure. I have a lot of choices. Once the Earth is officially mine, I could rule it, or I could set out to conquer other worlds, and start an empire. Much like Frieza had." Rowan frowned at his answer.

"Who is Frieza?" She asked quietly.

"He was once a part of a family of business men that ruled over hundreds of planets. They traded resources and slaves. It was quite a massive empire, but they're arrogance got them killed. I won't make the same mistakes. Frieza and his father, King Cold, both comprise a part of my DNA. They have some rather remarkable features that now contribute to my perfection, such as being able to survive in the depths of space unaided." Cell was rather proud as he spoke, sipping his tea as he finished. Rowan let the information soak in for a moment.

"Surviving in space? That's… Pretty incredible actually. But… Well… If you go off to start a new empire, what's going to happen to the Earth?" Cell's eyes hardened as he stared at her.

"It will probably become the first planet in my empire." Rowan scowled.

"So you'll use people as slaves? We'll just be things to you!" Cell frowned.

"You aren't a ' _thing_ ' to me Rowan. And I don't think I'll trade slaves if I do start an empire. I can do a much more civilized job that Frieza ever did. My empire will be far greater." Rowan looked away, unable to stomach the sadistic delight that Cell's face was showing.

"I have a question for you, Rowan." Cell said after a while. She finally looked back at him. His face had softened and he seemed more serious.

"What?"

"You have a scar on you back shoulder. The Rowan I knew in the future had it too, so it wasn't something that happened to her in the post-android world." Rowan instinctively looked over her shoulder, even though she couldn't see the scar under her clothes. But she knew what he was talking about. "For four years I wondered what had happened to cause that scar."

Rowan frowned and she looked down at her hands. She didn't want to say.

"I have to ask, did your father do that to you? You very rarely talk about him. I know almost nothing of what happened to cause you to leave home so early in your life." Rowan's eyes hardened and she felt herself scowling as she remembered her father.

"So you want to know how I got the scar on my back, and how I ended up here?" Her voice was cold and she looked at Cell with an angry expression. He nodded slowly once. Rowan sighed, defeated.

"It was about 5 and a half years ago. I was staying with a friend, Keira, in her apartment while dad went through rehab for the umpteenth time. She had a ginger kitten, only 7 months old named Cherry. Dad came around from time to time while he was going through the program. Usually he was pretty good. He was trying to break the grip his alcoholism had on him and I was so proud of him for trying." She paused for a moment, remembering one of the few good memories she had of her father and it softened her anger for a moment.

"But one day, he came over and he was utterly drunk, angry at something or another. He ended up trashing the apartment and he killed the kitten. Picked her up, threw her at the wall as if she was a football. I was so furious, and I tried to stop him. He… He hit me. It was the first time he had ever struck me. Usually he just yelled and screamed, sometimes he threw things, but he never hurt me physically. I tripped over the chair and smashed through the glass coffee table. Spent three nights in the hospital having shards removed and my skin put back together and he didn't even visit me once. I went back home after that, found him drunk and passed out. I stole his credit cards, packed my things and left."

Cell stared at Rowan for a long time, as she looked down at the tea mug she still held in hands. Slowly she put it on the bench in front of her. Cell reached his hand out, placing it on top of hers. It was a small gesture, but it was comforting. Slowly Rowan lifted her face to look back at him.

"I don't know about you Cell, but I'm starved. I'm going to make some dinner, would you like to stay?" Her face lit up with a smile as she asked him to stay. Cell's eyes widened, surprised.

"I think I will stay." He said with a small smirk.

Rowan got up from the bench and headed to the fridge. She rummaged around with a small frown. She headed to her pantry and finally she rummaged in her shoulder bag.

"Well, dinner isn't going to be a grand affair I'm afraid. I don't have very much to eat. How do you feel about canned beans?" She asked, as she held up a couple of cans of beans. Cell frowned. Rowan turned back to the cupboards as she rummaged for her pots. She didn't see Cell stand up and grab his helmet, strapping it on. She didn't see him come up behind her, until he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Wait, what are you doing?!" She objected, the move had surprised her and she was suddenly afraid.

"Just, try not to panic." He replied, tossing her over his shoulder. Rowan protested, punching Cell's shelled shoulder and wing, flailing her legs around.

"Cell, put me DOWN!" She yelled. He was stooped over as he walked out the door before he could finally stand up straight again. He made sure the door was closed before he took a few steps away from the house.

"Cell!" Rowan yelled again. He moved, pulling her from his shoulder and into his arms. She instantly tried to roll out of his grip but he held her tight.

"I wouldn't do that if I was you." He warned her with a smirk. She paused for just a moment, as she suddenly realized what he was doing.

"You wouldn't… I hate heights Cell." His smirk broadened as she froze in his arms.

"Oh but I would." Cell's wings opened and she felt his energy surround them. It made the air around her warm and gave everything a golden glow.

"Please don't do…EEEEEEEEEE" Her protest turned into a scream as he suddenly blasted off into the air. He was going fast, and she turned her face away from the wind, burying her face against his chest.

"CELL!" She screamed " Where are we GOING!?" She felt his laugh through his chest. She couldn't look up at his face without the wind blasting her, so she kept her face against his chest, her hair flying wildly around them.

It was over quickly though, as he slowed and began to descend. She finally looked up and around her. The city looked completely different from the air. It was still mostly empty, but there were a few lit windows and the street lights were still lit up, making the city look less dead. She could even see the Paprika River reflecting the star light and the two long dashes that she knew were the bridges that stretched over it.

The skyscrapers in the centre of the city loomed closer below her, and then they were towering over her as Cell headed down towards the street. His golden aura vanished as he landed in the middle of an empty road. Litter scattered the streets, and it was eerily quiet. A light breeze caught some old newspapers and empty Styrofoam cups, making them rattle as they rolled across the bitumen.

Cell finally put her down and he looked around with a disapproving scowl.

"Why are we here of all places?" Rowan thought out loud.

"Should be somewhere around here where you can find some food." He said simply. It made sense and Rowan gave a small nod.

"Right-O. But… I'm pretty sure everything would have been cleaned out during the evacuation."

"True, however it can't hurt to look. There's a grocery store over there." He pointed casually to the right, and Rowan started to walk in that direction. Cell followed her, folding his arms across his chest and closing his eyes as he walked.

"This place is kind of scary at night." She mused. Cell grunted in reply. Rowan smirked at this.

"Of course, nothing is as scary as you." She added with a small laugh. Cell grunted again, but the corners of his mouth lifted. As scary as it was, Rowan was glad the city was empty. Cell's presence in a populated area would have been devastating.

The grocery store was one of the huge ones that were usually stocked with bulk version of everyday items, only it was closed and all the lights were turned off. Rowan pressed her face against the glass to try to look inside.

"It's too dark. I can't tell if there's anything left." She said sadly. Cell approached a different panel of glass and very slowly touched his finger to it. It didn't shatter so much as it vaporized into confetti like dust that rained down on the ground.

"Cell! Someone has to pay for that you know!" Rowan said with a frown. Cell smirked and ducked his head to step inside the now opened floor-to-wall window. Rowan sighed and followed him inside. It was dark, quiet and creepy. Rowan watched as Cell lifted his hand, generating a very familiar ball of energy and casually tossing it into the air. Rowan stared at it for a while, feeling its welcomed warmth and light.

Cell frowned as he walked down the aisles, but the shelves were all empty. Rowan walked the other way, checking the fridges and freezers along the sides. They too were empty. Nothing remained.

"Hmm. Perhaps we should try the shopping complex across the road." Cell said as he joined her again. Rowan nodded and headed back outside through the open window. Cell smirked as he walked through another window, shattering it.

"Really, must you do that?" Cell only chuckled as she shook her head.

Another grocery store inside a shopping complex held much the same results. It was empty, cleared out before the evacuation.

"Ugh, this is no good." Rowan mumbled. She heard her stomach rumble and Cell frowned.

"I have one last idea." He said, heading towards the shut-down escalator. He jumped suddenly, landing smoothly on the next floor up as Rowan stared up at him for a moment, before she ran up the stairs. He stood at the top of the stairs, arms folded, and waiting with a smirk.

"If I thought it would do anything, I'd try to push you down the stairs." She said playfully. Cell spread his arms wide as he hovered off the ground, his wings outstretched. He hovered backwards, in front of Rowan as she walked, following him.

"You're such a show off." She called after him as he accelerated away with a huge smirk on his face. Inwardly however, she admired his incredible skill, envious of his ability to fly. He disappeared around a corner and she broke into a run to catch up to him.

He had landed back on the ground and was standing outside a large café. Instead of glass windows, the café was closed with a metal roller door. Cell grabbed it, crushing it in one hand as if it was nothing more than a tissue, scrunching it up and tossing it over his shoulder. The sound was horrific as the metal screamed in protest and the railing it had been suspended in crashed to the ground.

"Oh my god Cell, you can't just destroy stuff like that!" Rowan protested as she stared wide-eyed at the balled up roller door. It was the size of a basketball now and he had done it so effortlessly. She knew he was powerful. She had seen the destruction he could do with his energy, but she had never seen him so physically powerful. She would have struggled just to lift the door when it was on its rollers, but we he had just done was mind boggling.

"I would have knocked, but that seemed redundant." He said almost sarcastically as he turned towards her. He made a deep bow suddenly, welcoming her inside the dark café. Although it was done out of his showy-personality and as a playful jest, she felt her face flush as he looked up with a proud smirk. He was being gentle-manly, but with an evil twist, and she hated how that made her feel aroused.

"Well, let's try not to break anything else, okay?" She said kind of hurriedly, trying to cover up her moment of weakness. Cell arched his eyebrow, standing back up to his full height, and following Rowan inside.

She headed to the kitchen and exclaimed as she opened their large walk-in fridge.

"Yes, they have food!" She said loudly before she headed inside the fridge. Cell poked his head around the door. The fridge was stacked with a variety of foods, from fruits and vegetables, to pre-prepared sauces and condiments, to a huge selection of cold meats and cheeses and a variety of deserts, Cheesecakes, muffins, pastries and pies all stored neatly in their assorted containers.

Cell only watched as Rowan went through the dry-store selection in the giant pantry as well, before she decided to make spaghetti. She seemed happy as she sliced up some tomatoes and onions, adding them to the pork mince and garlic she had browning in a pan. She had the spaghetti in a pot with some salt, stirring it occasionally.

"Such good fortune to find this food. I hope they don't mind, but some of this food will spoil in the next few days." She looked over her shoulder at Cell as she worked. "Thank you, Cell." She added with a sincere smile. He slowly walked over to her, unfolding his arms as he did.

"You're very welcome." He said quietly. She stirred the sauce as Cell circled his arms around her and lowered his face to her hair. He nuzzled her gently as he moved his face lower, finding her ear lobe and nibbling on it. Rowan groaned, feeling the rush of blood as his electric touch shot through her. One of Cell's hands wandered lower, sliding underneath her jeans.

She felt her body tense up as he teased her through her panties. She moaned softly, leaning back against Cell's chest, her eyes closing as she lost herself in the moment. She almost dropped the wooden spoon she was using to cook with, and the food was almost forgotten. The hiss of water as the pasta boiled over snapped her back to reality. He was kissing her neck hungrily when she lifted her hand to his face.

"Cell… You have to stop this." She said quietly, but with as much conviction as she could muster. It was hard when he was so close, making her body tremble with his touch. It was like she had no control over what her body did anymore, and it was making her a little scared. There was so much at stake, she knew. It was the only thing that stopped her. If there was a way for them to enjoy each other without him gaining so much power, she knew she wouldn't be able to resist him at all.

Cell slipped his hand out of her jeans, and let her go. She went from being supported and enveloped in warmth, to standing alone and feeling suddenly cold. Part of her ached to have him back, but she fought bitterly to keep it down and she turned back to the food.

It took her a while to dare to look over her shoulder at Cell. His face was flushed lavender, and his eyes were dark. Something was going on behind those eyes, something that made his jaw tense. She could see the vein in his neck, throbbing and she realized how potent he felt their attraction, and how hard it was for him to restrain himself.

"You'll have to excuse me, I'll be back in a few minutes Rowan." Cell's voice was heavy and she could hear that potent husk to it, a product of his desire. She nodded, unable to look him in the eye as he strode out of the kitchen. She heard his footsteps fade away.

Rowan let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding and she strained the pasta and dished herself up a decent serving. She was hungry and she had made a great deal of food.

Rowan was sitting at a booth in the main part of the café enjoying her pasta when she heard his footsteps returning. She had served him up a plate and she gestured for him to join her.

"No thank you." He said quietly. His face was unreadable as he leaned against the side of the booth and watched her eat.

"So where did you go?" She asked casually between mouthfuls. He smirked at this suddenly and suddenly tossed something at her. She dropped her fork, catching the small box in her hand. She looked at it, a little surprised.

"I didn't know Capsule Corp made condoms." She mused out loud.

"I can't really say I'm surprised. Consumerism. Slap a giant corporations name on an everyday product and you can sell it for twice the price." Cell said as he folded his arms across his chest again.

"Do you really think using one of these will work though?" Rowan asked as she opened up the plastic seal on the box, looking inside. Cell frowned.

"The theory is sound. Your _gift_ seems to come from the chemical your body produces. It acts as a super fuel that reacts within my body, and generates a monstrous amount of energy rapidly. My body consumes it. If none of your fluids can enter my body, then it stands to reason that I won't be able to get any benefit. Except for the pleasure of it."

"That actually makes sense. Treat it like an STI." Rowan realized that sounded far too happy as she said that, but Cell's eyes narrowed as his smirk turned into a grin.

"I am glad you approve." He said with a tone that oozed arrogance. Rowan held one of the small foil packets in her hand and frowned.

"It's still a huge risk. It would be better if we didn't. What if it breaks?" She sounded disappointed, but she was being realistic. Cell's grin disappeared and his eyes turned stony.

"I suppose that is true. There is a risk." His voice rang with utter annoyance and he sounded quite angry. Rowan nodded and slowly put the packet back in the box. She stared at Cell for a long time, trying to understand him. The silence stretched between them until she sighed.

"Do you regret it Cell? You know, being forced to be attracted to me?" Cell's eyes narrowed at her question, but he didn't answer straight away. She could see him considering it.

"No, not regret. Encoding my DNA with a natural attraction to yours was a stroke of genius. It stops me from hurting you, and gives me a drive to protect you. I don't regret that fact. I do however, regret that the urge is too strong at times and I find that it can be difficult to maintain my self-control." Rowan's eyes widened at his admission.

"The drive is really that powerful?" Rowan asked with surprise. Cell nodded slowly.

"Yes. It is."

Another silence as they both stared at each other, lost in their own thoughts. Finally Rowan broke the moment by gathering up her plates and heading towards the kitchen. She dumped the plates in a large sink in the chrome bench that ran around the room.

Cell's arms snaked around her then.

"What are you doing to me?" He asked softly, his breath warm against her neck. Rowan's body was already responding.

"I don't know, but you have the same effect on me." She could hear the heavy desire in her voice. One of his hands slipped down her jeans again, as the other lifted up her shirt, finding her breast. He took a deep breath of her rich scent against her neck, his body tensing in response.

"We really shouldn't do this Cell." Rowan said. Cell grunted in reply, but made no effort to move. His fingers were masterful and she couldn't stop herself from moaning softly. His skin was warm against her own and she felt her will giving way under his tender touch. Her body was responding in ways she hadn't known before, ways that she didn't understand. She reached up, one hand touching the side of his face, the other touching the back of his hand that held her breast.

"Cell… Risk… Can't do it…" She gasped.

"Risk it Rowan, I need you." He groaned against her neck, his hands gripping her a little tighter. His words did it and she gave into his desire, groaning loudly, as her body trembled under the intensity of the pleasure.

"Good. You're _mine_." His voice was rich and quiet as he breathed into her ear. She could hardly think at all as he slid his hands free, and quickly undid her jeans. She helped him slide them off. He paused as he dropped them down, breathing in the incredibly intoxicating smell. It took all of his willpower not to taste it, knowing that would give him the energy boosting benefit. He lifted himself back up to his full height, feeling his own arousal becoming increasingly uncomfortable in it's confines.

The armour of his perfect body was very different from his imperfect form. In his previous forms, his armour had been apart of his body, something that was like a very thick skin. His testicles had been internal and his phallus was tucked away within a sheath. However, in his final form, he had become much more human. His armour was no longer living tissue, but rather a hardened extra layer and his testicles were now external. The black shelled cup had become a rigid defence in response to this new vulnerability, but the fact that it was rigid, was now making it unbearable.

He turned Rowan around to face him, kissing her hungrily as he grabbed her waist and lifted her suddenly onto the bench. Her hands found his face, and she deepened the kiss, just as hungry as he was. It only made him ache harder. Finally, unable to contain himself, he broke the kiss and stepped back. Rowan watched him as his muscles all flexed and he began to glow golden.

"Cell?" Rowan's voice was uncertain. He gave her a very arousing smirk, before he roared. His armour cracked and suddenly disintegrated, leaving only a fine dust to fall to the floor. Cell was left completely naked and exposed in front of Rowan. She stared, taking in his perfection.

His wings and tail were still attached to his back, permanent features, as was the triangular black shelled piece on his chest. But otherwise his skin was smooth and warm white, although his shoulders, arms, sides and legs all bore a scattering of dark grey-green speckles, much like the pattern on his armour.

"Wow." Rowan exclaimed as Cell flexed for a moment. "You are gorgeous." This made Cell smirk in a wicked way, something that sent an electric bolt down her spine.

"Why thank you." He said huskily. He came at her then, hungry, and it took everything she had to hold her hand out to stop him.

"Protection." She whispered. Cell watched her grab the packet off the bench, and tore open a small foil packet. It was an awkward moment, but Cell decided he enjoyed having her hands around him as she rolled the small piece of latex down his shaft. Finished, he embraced her, kissing her hard, and hungrily. Her hands ran through his hair, loving the softness of it as she tasted his mouth. She sucked on his bottom lip, something that caused him to groan. She could feel his every muscle move under his smooth skin as he pulled her rear forward on the bench but leaned over her. She wrapped her legs around his waist, inviting him in.

He slid inside and trembled at the tightness. She groaned into his mouth, which only excited him more. One of his hands grabbed her backside firmly, supporting her as he thrust himself inside of her, building a rhythm. She broke the kiss, dropping her head back with a moan. Cell kissed her neck tenderly, breathing in her heavy scent. It had become incredibly potent with her climax and it was almost unbearable to him. His desire was too strong, and she was too ready for him and he gave into the pressure, feeling his body become paralysed with the overwhelming pleasure as his climax took him. She gripped his head, pulling his face against her chest as she kissed his hair gently.

He breathed heavily against her, catching his breath,

"Did it work?" She asked quietly. Cell nodded and lifted his face, kissing her clavicle.

"It worked." He said quietly. He didn't want to let her go. She held him and he held her, resting against the chrome bench of a kitchen in a café in an abandoned city. It was surprisingly peaceful and as Rowan rested against the cool metal, she felt she could stay like this forever. It felt right, even though she told herself it was wrong. Something she could think about later. For now, she just enjoyed the moment.

A long while passed before Cell was willing to move, finally sliding himself out of her with a grunt and turning away. Rowan stopped him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and pulling his back against her. She kissed his ear lobe gently and he turned his face to hers. They kissed tenderly, a show of affection instead of hungry desire.

Finally she let him go and she slid off the bench to dress herself. She heard the snap as he pulled the now offending item from his body and she looked up. He was staring at it in his hand for a moment, a shadow of some dark thought or another flashed across his face before he disposed of it in the trash.

"I bet the military would kill to get their hands on that." Rowan said absently. Cell glanced back at her for just a moment.

"Good point." Rowan flinched as Cell levelled a sudden small and controlled blast at the trash can, obliterating it and everything it held. Rowan didn't say anything; she just stared at Cell as her fingers absently buttoned her jeans.

Cell's muscles tensed as he flexed, his energy flaring around him for just a moment, before his armour re-grew from his skin in a splatter of green. Cell smirked as he turned to look at her, his body completely covered again.

"Better." He said with a smile.

"You don't like being naked?" Rowan asked. Cell grunted.

"It feels strange not to have my armour. It's as much a part of me as the nose on my face." Rowan couldn't help but giggle at that.

"In your last form you didn't have a nose!" She exclaimed. Cell smirked at her merriment.

Eventually, Rowan grabbed a large plastic tub and headed into the large walk-in fridge. She took as much fresh food as she could, stuff that wouldn't last until the owners returned. She also took some basic ingredients and a few of the tasty pastries, stacking it all neatly in the plastic tub. Lastly, she raided the freezer for some cuts of meat and finally the pantry for some other bits and pieces. When she was satisfied, she hoisted the heavy tub onto her hip against her side and she headed out of the café. Cell, followed her out. The two walked silently, but they both wore smiles.

Rowan stopped at the foot of the stairs, listening.

"Did you hear that?" She asked quietly. Cell turned and listened. He focused his senses, scanning the area. There were dozens of golden dots that represented people in various places close by, but the closest was a pair of people inside the shopping complex.

"There appears to be two people inside some of the shops up stairs. It's best if we get moving Rowan." Cell said quietly. Rowan looked upstairs where Cell had indicated, hesitating for just a moment before she finally nodded and she quickly headed for the main entrance.

She stopped before she stepped outside, watching as a car went flying past on the road outside the shopping centre. She hesitated, before she saw another go flying past, this one had people leaning out, yelling and screaming with a variety of weapons.

"Thugs." Cell said quietly. Rowan nodded. They disappeared quickly, but she could hear them yell as shots were fired from their weapons. The distinctive sound of a car's tyres' skidding before the horrific scream of metal as the car crashed. More screaming and yelling followed but it sounded distant. Rowan frowned and she quickly headed outside. She ran down the sidewalk with her plastic tub bouncing against her hip. She stopped as she approached the intersection and she poked her head cautiously around the corner she could hear the yelling coming from.

The first car had been shot and had spun out, crashing into a light post. The light post was down, crushing the car under it. The second car had stopped and two of the thugs were inspecting the car. They seemed to find nothing of interest and returned to their friends in the car before it screamed against the bitumen and roared off down the street, away from Rowan.

Rowan waited a moment before she put the plastic tub on the floor and ran towards the car. Cell sighed and followed, clearly annoyed.

Rowan gritted her teeth as she heard a man groaning in pain.

"Hello? Are you okay? Can you hear me?" She said as she tried to inspect the wreckage. The car had flipped onto its side and spun around before it had crashed into the pole. The pole was pinning the doors shut and the front engine was crushed up, blocking the wind screen. Rowan had to clamber onto the side of the car to see the man. He was middle aged with grey curly hair and a thick moustache.

"Hey, can you help me get out?" The man asked. He had a gash across the top of his forehead and small abrasions on his nose and hands.

"Are you hurt anywhere?" Rowan asked as she tried to push the pole off the car. It was bent, almost pinning it in place.

"I think… I think my leg might be broken." The man said with a grim face. He looked pale and possibly in shock. Rowan nodded.

"Don't worry, we are going to get you out of there, just hold on."

"We?" Cell asked. He was standing a few feet from the crashed car, out of sight of the injured man, holding the plastic tub full of food. Rowan frowned at him.

"You could help him out. It would be nothing to you." Cell frowned.

"I'm not much of the helping type, Rowan."

"He's injured! He needs help." Cell didn't move. He just glared at Rowan. Rowan tried to move the pole again, straining against the twisted metal.

"Come on, move, you stupid piece of junk!" Rowan grunted as she shifted position behind the pole and tried to lift it off instead. She was getting nowhere fast.

Cell watched her strain against the pole. It was making him angry for some reason as she tried so desperately to help a stranger. She finally stopped trying, visible exhausted from her effort. She panted as she glared daggers at Cell.

"What do I have to do to get you to help? Do you want me to beg?" Rowan was getting angry too. Cell scowled.

"He doesn't want my help Rowan."

"Please, if you can hear me, I do want your help!" The man yelled from the car. Cell's eyes narrowed and he moved towards the car. Rowan watched him as he came right up to her. Even though she was on top of the overturned car, he was still at her eye level. The injured man gave a frightened yell as Cell came into his sight.

"C…Cell!" Rowan ignored the man, locking eyes with Cell. It felt like a battle of the wills, each one angry, and unrelenting.

"You have to ask him to move the pole, sir." Rowan said with a flat voice. She didn't take her eyes from Cell. The man whimpered.

"Sir, please, tell me, do you want Cell to help you get out of the car?" Rowan asked, trying a different tactic.

"Y…Yes…" He stammered. Cell's eyes were shinning brilliantly with the fury he felt. Still holding the tub in on hand, he reached out with the other, unblinking, and still staring at Rowan as he grabbed the pole. He lifted it up and tossed it aside. It became a massive metal spear as it pierced through several buildings before landing on the opposite side of the city somewhere in a cloud of dust and debris.

"I helped." Cell's voice was as cold as ice.

"Thank you." Rowan replied with just as much venom in her voice. Cell snorted and turned, breaking their eye contact. He walked out of the way as Rowan managed to open the now freed door and reached in, trying to get the man out of the car. It was hard to do, since the man was too scared to move for several moments.

Finally though he was out and with Rowans' help, he was eased to the ground. Cell was several feet away with his back to them as Rowan sat him down on the ground.

"Is there anything bleeding? Do you feel like there might be any internal injuries?" Rowan asked as she inspected the mans' leg. It was swollen and bruised from where it had been caught on the underside of the dashboard. The man never answered her. He kept staring at Cell's back.

"That's Cell…" He whispered after a while. Rowan nodded.

"I know. Don't be afraid of him please, he won't hurt you." She said quietly.

"But… What's he doing here, why is he with you?" Rowan smiled meekly.

"Cell's my friend." She said with sincerity. "I've known him for a long time."

"Friend? How can you be a friend with that… Thing? He's evil! He's a monster…" Rowan frowned as she helped him back to his feet, letting him use her as a support.

"I know what he's doing is wrong, but, that doesn't mean he's all bad. He's actually very nice. He even helped me look for food, its why we're in the city." The man was quiet, as Rowan helped him across the road. She grabbed a milk crate from an alley way and ran it back to the man so he could sit down with his back against the wall.

"Thank you for helping me." The man said meekly. Rowan nodded.

"You should thank Cell too. He did move that pole so you could get out." Rowan suggested. The man frowned.

"You want me to… Thank, Cell?" Rowan nodded with a broad smile on her face. The man shook his head. "If it wasn't for him, the city would be back to normal. There would be police and people everywhere, none of these thugs would be riding around, stealing things and doing terrible things. I can't thank Cell." Rowan frowned at the mans' words. Even though she knew everything he said was true, it still hurt her to hear them from someone else.

"Rowan." Cell's sharp tone snapped her attention to Cell. He was looking over his shoulder at her, an angry expression on his face. "We have company." Cell looked up. Rowan followed his gaze.

Standing on top of a large building was the green skinned man, known as Piccolo. He looked furious. Rowan heard the injured man give a squeal of fright as he spotted Piccolo too.

"What the hell is that? Another Cell?"

"No, he's an alien named Piccolo. He's one of the people trying to stop Cell. " Rowan explained quickly. "We need to get out of here, let's get you inside that office building. We should be safe until we can get help." The man nodded meekly, and he leaned against Rowan again as she put her arm around him.

They hobbled towards the office building. They were suddenly blasted forwards by an intense shockwave. Rowan lay sprawled on her face for a moment dazed. She turned to look at what had happened. Cell was hovering in the air, only a few feet from her. He had his arms crossed across his face, and there was smoke coming from his arms.

"Cell?" He glanced over his shoulder.

"He's trying to kill you." Cell warned quietly. She had never seen a fury so intense as she saw in his eyes. His voice might have been calm, but Cell was anything but. He turned back to Piccolo.

Rowan scrambled back to her feet, realizing with the full weight of what Cell had just said. Piccolo was trying to kill her.

 _'Because he's realized I'm the real threat now.'_ The thought turned her feet to lead and her stomach to ice. For a tiny moment, she regretted her actions in the Café. But it only lasted a moment. Nothing had happened to Cell's power.

Another monstrous blast of hot air, but this one wasn't from an attack. Cell's fury had burst the dam, and it exploded out of him in a fiery golden aura as he charged at Piccolo.

The shockwave that came from Cell's attack on Piccolo made the previous ones look like nothing. She was knocked from her feet, and slammed through the window of the office building. The man had managed to crawl inside already, and he was cowering behind a table.

"Crap." Rowan exclaimed as she forced herself gingerly to sit up. Shards of glass had cut her hands where she had landed, but what worried her, was the small shard sticking out of her side. Her shirt was blossoming red as it soaked up the blood from her wound. She grabbed the shard carefully and with a grunt, she yanked it free, making it squirt more blood. She quickly inspected the wound. It was a deep cut in her side, just above her hip, but it wasn't fatal, just messy.

The ground below her shook violently and another blast of hot air slammed into her. She skidded back on the slippery shards of glass, but managed to keep herself upright. Hot pain flushed from her side and her hands stung, but she forced herself to take shelter against the wall near the broken window. She dared to look outside, just in time to see Cell slam Piccolo into the road outside. His power was truly monstrous as the yellow energy lashed out with random static discharges, tearing thin lines of destruction in the environment around him where the discharges struck.

Piccolo was completely outmatched in power, and he barely had a chance to get back on his feet before Cell's boot connected with his belly and kicked him back into the ground with enough brutal force that the road became a monstrous crater, swallowing part of a building and causing it to rumble and sway before it very slowly began to collapse in itself. Rowan could only watch as the building collapsed, sending monstrous waves of dust and debris into the air. But it didn't make it to her, the wave struck the huge golden bubble of power that engulfed Cell, and was vaporized.

Lightning flared out from him, one striking just outside the building where Rowan cowered. She saw the arch of electricity strike like a whip, leaving a thin, but deep gash across the pavement.

"Holy cow... He's going to kill Piccolo…And probably destroy the city in the process…" She realized.

Rowan grit her teeth and ambled outside, each step sending another wave of pain shooting up her side and back.

"CELL!" She yelled, but Cell didn't hear her, or simply ignored her. Piccolo was lying on his back in the bottom of the huge crater, unable to defend himself. Cell had one of his boots on the Namekians' chest, and his open hand held up. The snarl on Cell's face was more terrifying than his power.

"Cell… Stop this." It hurt to move, but she forced herself to the edge of the crater. With a grunt, she fell to her rear and slid down the side of the crater.

"CELL! STOP!" She screamed as she struggled to her feet. She held her wounded side, aware she was making the injury far worse. Cell finally heard her, and he tilted his head to the side to stare. And instantly his scowl vanished. He kept his hand aimed at Piccolo, his boot on his chest, his power flaring, but he was focused on her.

She approached him, a frown on her face.

"Don't hurt him Cell."

"He was going to _KILL_ you!" Cell snarled, infuriated.

"Do you really blame him?!" Rowan yelled back. "I'm a threat! To everyone! If I was him, I'd try to kill me too."

Piccolo grunted as he moved, lifting his head to see what was happening. Rowan stood right in front of Piccolo, glaring angrily at Cell.

Piccolo could smell the blood. It was a powerful smell. Her shirt and hand covered the wound, but the blood had soaked through her shirt and it looked serious. He could also smell… _her._

"Rowan, please, move." Cell asked quietly. Rowan lowered her face down in determination, her eyes locked with Cells'.

"No." Cell snarled in frustration, before he took his boot off the Namekian. His fury was absolute as he turned from Rowan, took a few steps and then roared at the sky. The monstrous column of energy that he unleashed was absolutely immense. The entire blast was aimed up, but the heat was so intense, she could feel it blistering her arms as she lifted them to protect her face.

Cell stopped suddenly, breathing heavily. His aura vanished and he turned back to her, furious.

"Save it for the tournament Cell." Everyone turned their attention to a blonde haired man and shorter bald man who had magically appeared at the edge of the crater.

"Goku!" Cell snarled. Goku locked eyes with Cell for a long moment. Krillin ran to Piccolo, helping him to sit up.

Rowans' adrenalin failed her in that moment and she felt her knees give out under her as she fell to the dirt, exhausted and weakened from her ordeal and her injury.

"Rowan…" Cell snarled, infuriated, but he turned from Goku and strode to Rowan. He quietly inspected the wound with a deep frown.

"Do you want me to take her to Dande'? He can heal her Cell." Goku offered. His offer was genuine, but Cell was blinded with rage.

"You really think I'm going to let any of you near her? Piccolo has made it abundantly clear that none of you are as noble as you claim." Cell spat angrily.

"Goku… You have.. To get her… Away from Cell…" Piccolo grunted as he tried to speak. He was badly hurt. Goku frowned.

"Why? What's going on?" Goku looked genuinely confused and concerned. "Krillin didn't really tell me anything; he just sort of came flying down and told me I had to come straight away." Cell snorted and he bent to pick up Rowan, cradling her in his arms. Goku seemed surprised by his act.

"Wait, is she your girlfriend?" Cell snarled in reply. Goku started to laugh.

"Great, even Cell can get a girlfriend." Krillin mumbled as he helped Piccolo to his feet.

"Goku, that girl, she can double Cell's power!" Piccolo yelled. Krillin and Goku's surprise was followed by tension.

"What? Double it? How?" Goku's humour had vanished, replaced with genuine worry.

"I'll explain later, you just have to trust me." Piccolo said. Goku's face distorted from concern to a deep frown. Cell glared at him.

"You really think I'm going to give her to you?" Cell asked with a voice that sounded like death.

"Maybe not, but she looks pretty badly hurt. I give you my word Cell, if you let me take her, I'll get her fixed up straight away. No harm will come to her." Cell was so angry he was shaking. He looked down at Rowan. She smiled up at him.

"It's Okay. I'll be alright." She assured him. Goku approached Cell.

"Your word Goku. If anything happens to her, I'll rip this world a part in a heartbeat." Goku smiled with genuine happiness.

"My word Cell!" He took Rowan from Cell and grinned down at her. "Hi there! My name is Goku."

"Hey, I'm Rowan." She replied weakly. She felt dizzy and light headed. Goku turned away from Cell and headed over to the Z Warriors. They all put their hands on Goku. Rowan managed a final look between all the limbs at Cell. He wasn't just mad, he was enraged and he was sad.

Suddenly everything disappeared and was replaced with glaring white. She was forced to close her eyes to allow them time to adjust. Wherever they were, it was bright and sunny daylight. She felt Goku walking with her in his arms.

"Dande'!" Goku called out. "Dande` where are you little guy, we need your help!"

"Coming!" Rowan finally managed to open her eyes, just in time to see a little miniature Piccolo come running out of a beautiful ornate temple looking place.

"Dande` can you heal Rowan and Piccolo?" Goku asked as he gently laid Rowan down. The little Piccolo dropped to his knees besides her and held his hands out over her side.

"Hi Dande, I'm Rowan." She said. Dande` smiled down at her, he was very different to Piccolo. Rowan felt the warmth flood through her, a strange sensation. She felt her body relax as the pain faded and then disappeared.

"There, you're all better!" Dande` said with enthusiasm. Rowan sighed and sat up. She lifted her shirt, poking her side. The blood was still stained, but there was no sign of her injury. She looked at her hands and even those scrapes were gone.

"Wow that's amazing, thank you!" She exclaimed. Dande` beamed at her before he turned his attention to Piccolo who was sitting awkwardly on the white-tiled floor. Rowan stood up and looked around.

The place was beautiful. It was a huge circle shaped platform surrounded by blue sky. The platform supported rows of palm trees and beautifully tended gardens that led to the huge temple.

"Where are we?" She asked Goku. He grinned, almost dopily at her.

"It's called Kamis' Lookout, Its way up above the clouds."

"Oh, it's really peaceful looking."

"Oh yeah it's fantastic up here." Goku said with enthusiasm. "By the way, why does Piccolo think you can double Cells' power? And Can you?" Rowan frowned and looked down at the tiles under her feet.

"Yeah. I can. I'm half alien. Apparently my species has the power to double the power of people we… Um… You know… Sleep with." She mumbled the last part. Goku stared at her blinking blankly for a while.

"Really? That's pretty cool. You being an alien and all that! I'm an alien too! I'm a Sayain!" Goku pointed at himself with a big grin. Rowan couldn't stop herself from laughing. Piccolo and Krillin joined them a moment later.

"Hi, I don't think we've met." Rowan said to Krillin. Krillin grinned and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"I'm Krillin. It's nice to meet you."

"Rowan is a traitor, Krillin." Piccolo snarled angrily. Rowan's face fell into a scowl.

"I am not a traitor."

"You were with Cell! You know what'll happen if he…"

" **I AM FULLY AWARE, THANK YOU!"** Rowan roared. "But I haven't given him any power and I wasn't going to, not that it's **ANY** of your business!"

"I think it's every ones' business! You could doom us all!"

"Um, I'm a little lost here" Krillin interrupted meekly.

"This woman, has the ability to double a person's power level!" Piccolo snarled. Krillin stared at Rowan.

"Um, that's great, how?" Rowan felt her face flush.

"It's um.. Kind of awkward." She said quietly.

"You have sex with her." Piccolo said flatly. Krillins' face went redder than a tomato almost instantly but he didn't say a word.

"Cell knows this?" Goku asked, his voice was friendly, but full of concern. Rowan nodded and sighed.

"Gero knew about my mother. He programmed Cell with the ability to um… detect my DNA. So he recognized me even though I didn't know I was different myself."

"Interesting." Goku's voice trailed off. "Well, you should be safe up here. I don't think Cell can find you easily. Is that Okay with you Dande` if she stays here?" Dande` looked lost for a moment before he finally nodded.

"Uh sure, okay."

"Great! Well, I've really got to run. I have to find 4 more dragonballs before the tournament!" Goku said with a grin. Rowan's eyes widened.

"Wait, the dragonballs are real!? Are you going to wish everyone back to life?" She couldn't stop herself from showing her enthusiasm. Goku grinned.

"Yep! See ya round!" Goku gave a quick wave before he took off in a golden blast of energy, exactly the same as Cells. Rowan watched for a moment.

"If the dragonballs grant wishes, why can't you just wish for Cell to disappear or something?" She directed her question at Piccolo. He snarled angrily at her.

"The Eternal Dragon cannot fundamentally change a person. It is against his power to do so. You cannot wish people dead, or the powers to disappear. But you can wish for a person to come back to life." Rowan nodded, accepting the information.

"Fair enough." Rowan said quietly. Piccolo snarled.

"Look, I don't like you. You potentially risk everyone's lives! I won't apologize for trying to kill you! You're too risky to keep alive!" Rowan glared back at him.

"I know. I don't blame you for wanting me dead Piccolo." Piccolo bunched his hands into fists, trembling with his anger for a moment, before he sighed and let his anger and his energy go.

"I do have to thank you for saving me though." Piccolo turned and walked away after that. Rowan smiled wearily.

"Man these guys are all crazy." She muttered to herself. Krillin and Dande both laughed.

"So Uh…. Is there… something going on between you and Cell?" Krillin asked coyly. Rowan smiled.

"Yeah, we're um… friends. I've known him for years." She said, hesitating on what to call him. What kind of relationship did they have?

"YEARS!?" Krillin almost fell over with surprise. Dande just stared, open mouthed.

"Yep. I'm going to go grab some sleep. I'm pretty tired. Is that Okay?" She directed her question to Dande. He nodded shyly.

"Oh, I'll show you to your room. Mr Popo, the caretaker, should be around somewhere as well. He can help you if you need anything.

"Oh fantastic, and thank you! You're a very gracious host." Rowan followed Dande inside the temple.

Cell was back in his arena. His arms were folded, his eyes were closed and his head was bowed, the perfect image of calm. Inside his head he raged. His anger at Piccolo had terrified him. The only time he had been angrier was held within the memory of Seru, when he had realized that Other Cell had raped Rowan. Cell sighed, his mind racing with what he should do and what it meant.

The Z warriors had Rowan and no doubt Piccolo had filled them all in on whom and what she was. Cell's eye twitched as he thought of Vegeta. He was a proud man, but he was also power obsessed and it might be possible that he would try to use Rowan. Unlikely, but possible.

Then again, any of them might do something stupid if they were desperate. An image of Piccolo with his hand around Rowans' throat made Cell's eyes fly open in anger. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He needed to focus, figure out what was going on.

He was distantly away that there were people around his arena. All of them were quite far away, but there were people who had come to see him for themselves. Gawkers, groupies, cameramen and reporters. As long as they kept their distance, he could safely ignore them all.

His senses twinged, forcing him out of his internal struggle and his eyes opened. A strange man was standing in his arena, only a few feet away, but Cell had never felt him approach. He had just appeared.

Cell studied him. He was angry and not in the mood to deal with new people, but he was still curious and he did not recognize the type. The man was short, about Vegeta's height, with close cut silver hair, except for a long pony tail that ran from the top of his scalp and down his back. He had a small nose but a strong chin and strangely white skin. It was a similar shade to Cells', only tinted red instead of purple. His ears were more pointed than a humans' but not as large as Piccolos and he had two antennae that came from his temple and swept backwards behind his ears. He wore a white sash on a simple red robe and his eyes were piercing green… The same as Rowans'. He said nothing but only stared intently at Cell for a long while. Cell stared back. He was very curious now.

Slowly the man approached Cell. Cell could see his bare feet under his robe and his approach was completely soundless. The man stopped just short of Cell and held his hand out. His finger nails were long and clear, with the nail on his thumb looking more like a claw.

"I am Quill, a Tecktarian." The mans' voice was surprisingly deep for such a short man. "I am Rowans' Mothers' Brother." Cell narrowed his eyes but he didn't move or say anything. Quill took a deep breath but kept his hand out held. "Please, take my hand." He said gently. Cell smirked.

"Why?" He asked rather rudely. Quill gave him a small smile.

"Because I asked you nicely." Cell didn't make an attempt to move. Quill sighed and lowered his hand. "As you wish, we shall do this the difficult way."

Cell couldn't track his movements. He wasn't moving super-fast, he was teleporting. He vanished from in front of Cell and reappeared instantly behind him. Cell didn't have a chance to react before the sharp thumb claw jabbed the vulnerable flesh of his neck, just under his left ear. Cell roared, infuriated and turned, swinging a powerful punch, but Quill was already gone.

He reappeared at the edge of the arena, a good deal away from Cell.

"I could have taken your blood from your hand, but you wanted to be difficult." Quill said simply. Cell snarled and threw an energy blast at the annoying alien. Quill suddenly grinned and held out his non-bloodied hand.

The energy ball disappeared.

"You really shouldn't do that." Quill warned. Cell felt his anger grow and he held out his hand, pouring more energy into another blast, throwing it at Quill. Again the ball disappeared before it reached Quill.

"I expected you to be smarter than that." Quill said as he tilted his head to the side. His hand still held out. Quill's eyes widened and the collected power of Cells' attacks suddenly came flying back. Cell knocked the energy away from his arena, up into the sky where it exploded harmlessly.

Cell flexed and lunged again. Quill disappeared instantly.

"Stop DOING THAT and FIGHT ME!" Cell roared.

"I don't fight. Tecktarians' are pacifists." Cell whirled around. Quill was standing on the top of the arena's pillar on one foot. Cell watched as Quill all to casually, flicked one of his antennae forward, arching it over his head, and gently touched the blood-filled claw.

"Well… This is.. Interesting." Quill said after a moment.

"What are you doing with my blood?" Cell demanded.

"Checking the markers." Quill replied casually.

"What? What does that mean?"

"Every time you benefit from Rowan, it marks your blood. I'm checking to see how many and what type of markers appears in your blood. Only… This is strange." Cell scowled, feeling his anger flaring again. Quill was unfazed. His teleportation was frustrating Cell. He couldn't land a hit if Quill wasn't there to hit. And his energy attacks were ineffective if he could just bounce them back.

"Apparently… Rowan was your first, but not this Rowan. An older Rowan, one who was not in good health and who did not give you the gift of her first time and that bond. And yet also this Rowan was your first, but you forced her, and to make it extra confusing, you shared _another_ first time with this Rowan, _and_ this Rowan's blood shows that you were _her_ first? How can you have three first times with two different Rowans?" Cell snarled.

"That's none of your business." Quill shrugged.

"Well I'm very confused by the readings in your blood. Regardless, I have what I needed from you. Perhaps you would be so kind as to tell me where about I might find my niece at this moment?" Quill stared down at Cell, completely unbothered by Cell's apparent rage.

"Like Hell!" He roared, blasting a monstrous beam of energy at Quill. Quill rolled his eyes and held his hands out. The energy disappeared.

"How are you doing that?!" Cell roared. Quill 's grin was full of malice.

"Surely you don't think a Tecktarians' only power lies between their legs?" Quill asked. Cell's snarl turned into a look of bewilderment and then anger. Quill shrugged.

"I guess I'll have to look for her on my own."

"I'm not finished with you yet!" Cell snarled. Quill frowned and lifted a hand to the sky. The monstrous amount of energy he had just absorbed shot straight up, once against harmlessly exploding in the sky.

"I'm not going to fight you. Mainly because you'd kill me in one hit, if you could hit me. I don't really want to risk that. Not till after I've spoken to my niece." Quill tapped his two fingers against his head in an impromptu wave and grinned before he suddenly disappeared. Cell frowned and slowly recovered his composure, before returning to his usual stance in the middle of the arena.

He was very curious as to what he had just learned, and he wondered if that would help him get Rowan back.


	8. VIII

Rowan felt much better. She had been surprisingly tired and had collapsed on the comfortable bed and fallen asleep almost instantly. She had woken hours later and showered. Fresh clothes had been laid out for her, although it was a long white robe with a small red vest and sash. There was also a long white cloak, made of a heavy but very soft fabric she couldn't place, but she enjoyed the feel of it as she wrapped it around her body.

Mr Popo had been in the kitchen when she had entered, and he had been all too happy to make her some breakfast. Chicken rice with a creamy sauce and vegetables, it had been an incredibly satisfying meal. Mr Popo wasn't much of a talker, but his friendly aura and warm attitude made her feel comfortable around him.

Now she sat on a simple wooden chair at a plain desk with a small computer. It was very aged and outdated, but it was serviceable. The Wi-Fi connection was weak though, making it frustrating to stream the live broadcast of Cell's arena.

It was night at the arena, the dark kind of night before dawn. It was difficult to see, but Cell was standing in his usual pose in the centre of the arena. He was more visible as a shadow against the white tiles, with the glinting reflection of faint light on his shelled armour. The image of him was strangely comforting and Rowan was glad that he wasn't off doing something stupid. She had seen that fury and that pain in him, and she had been worried.

Rowan had also seen replays of the images of her and Cell in the arena from a couple of days ago. She had been shocked at the sight, not realizing how terrible it looked. Cell had grabbed her wrist and pulled her back, and the media had been reporting her as some sort of an unknown victim to the tyrant. Making matters worse however, she had seen the greying man she had helped save in the city talking on the TV, explaining about what he had witnessed. It had started a minor media frenzy, and she had become an object of gossip.

Rowan was a little glad that she was up on the lookout, out of sight of people. She didn't know what image she hated more, being portrayed as a victim, or being portrayed as traitor. She hung her head at the thought and stared at her hands.

 _'Am I a traitor?'_ She thought to herself. _'I did risk everything for a few minutes of pleasure. Maybe I am a traitor. But… I don't want him to hurt people. And I can't seem to stop myself._ ' She dropped her head loudly to the wooden desk, feeling the table shake at the impact. It was quiet at the look out. It was evening here and the only people left on the lookout were Mr Popo, Dande and Piccolo. Piccolo had made a point of ignoring her when she had wandered outside earlier. She didn't feel threatened, knowing he would respect Goku's honour when he had promised Cell. But she also didn't feel comfortable either, and she had turned, heading back inside to leave him to his lonely musings.

Rowan closed her eyes, thinking and feeling both ashamed and proud as she thought of everything that had happened.

She almost screamed as she felt a hand on her shoulder. She started, leaping to her feet, her heart racing. The strange man that had startled her jumped back, wide eyed.

"Oh my god, don't DO that! You scared me half to death!" Rowan yelled as she tried to catch her breath. The man was strange. He was a little shorter than she was, with warm white skin, tinted just slightly, red. His ears were pointed and his head was closely shaved and white-silver.

"I'm so sorry; I didn't mean to startle you." He said in a surprisingly deep voice. He smiled suddenly trying to look friendly. His canine teeth were slightly longer than usual and she was drawn to the two, long and thin antennae that sprouted from his temples.

"Sorry for yelling, you just scared me." Rowan regained her composure, standing back up straight and collecting herself. The man waved the incident off. His gentle mannerisms were surprisingly infectious and she couldn't help but smile.

"I don't think we've met before. You must be another Z warrior. My name is Rowan." Rowan held her hand out to the man and his grin turned into a small smile as he looked at her. Slowly he took her hand in his own. His nails were long and clear, but his thumb sported a hollowed claw. Rowan looked at it for a moment, before it suddenly jabbed the back of her hand, causing a squirt of blood. Rowan yelped and jerked her hand free.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you Rowan. My name is Quill. And no, I'm not one of the Warriors of Earth." The man said with a hard smile.

"Hey that hurt!" She protested angrily. Quill held his blood filled claw up as one of his long antennae arched over his head, gently touching the claw.

"I do apologize. It's much easier to get an accurate assessment of the situation this way." Rowan just stared as the blood was drained from Quill's claw. His face turned thoughtful as his antennae curled back behind his ear.

"This is interesting." He murmured.

"What is? Look, I'm really confused. If you aren't one of the Warriors, who are you? What do you want?" Rowan took a step back away from the strange man as he broke into another grin.

"You don't need to fear me Rowan. I know we haven't been introduced before, but your mother, my sister, was quite adamant that you grow up to live a normal life. She cut off contact with our people when she fled to Earth." Rowan stared for a moment, letting the information sink in.

"My mothers'… Brother? You're… My Uncle?" Quill grinned and nodded.

"Quite! It's fantastic to finally meet you in person." Quill looked around quickly before he suddenly dropped down, easing into a cross-legged sit. He gestured for her to sit in front of him. She was hesitant, but slowly, she sat down, still staring.

"My mom… She didn't look that much like you." Rowan said quietly. She didn't remember a lot about her mother, but she had the photo she kept on her bedside table. Her mother had long silver hair, slightly pointed ears and grey-silver eyes, but her skin had been warm and full of colour and she definitely didn't have the long tentacles above her ears. Her nose and chin had been strong of feature and her jaw had a gentle slope. This man was almost the opposite with a strong jaw and small nose and larger eyes.

"She definitely didn't have the claws or the tentacles." Rowan added as she stared at Quill. Quill laughed at this, an infectious and genuine sound.

"Of course not! She was female! Only males have the sensory organs." Quills antennae wiggled up over his head in a sort of friendly manner as he said this, before they tucked back again.

"Oh." Rowan felt her face flush in embarrassment as Quill laughed at her again. He finally stopped and stared at her with a bright smile and he sighed happily.

"I promised Thornya that I wouldn't interfere with you. I wouldn't come looking for you, or teach you about our heritage, not unless you asked for it." He said after a while. Rowan's eyes widened.

"Then… how did you find me? And why did you come if you promised you wouldn't?" Quill frowned at this and his eyes hardened.

"Your… Father, saw you on the television. He contacted me. I can only assume that Thornya had left some sort of instruction in case of emergency. It was the first time he's ever reached out to me, and he only did it because Cell was apparently holding you as his prisoner." Rowans' face fell into a scowl as she thought of her father but she remained silent. She felt her eyes sting with tears but she refused to let them fall.

"Rowan, I need you to ask me to teach you about our heritage, to show you what you are capable of. I can't break my vow to my sister." Quill said softly. Rowan dried the corner of her eyes on the back of her sleeve and nodded.

"Okay. Quill, will you please teach me." She said rather formerly. Quill's face broke into an almost malicious grin and he nodded.

"Of course!"

\/\\*/\/

 _Warmth. The comfort of the artificial womb in which it grew, was the first thing it ever knew. It was assuring, feeling the gentle tickle as small aeration bubbles occasionally brushed against its skin. It twitched in response, unable to see yet. But it could feel. And it could hear. Muffled sounds, beeps, clicks, the heavy hum of the machine that supplied it with life, but those sounds were outside. Outside the plexiglass tube where it grew. Its body was tiny, barely functioning, but every moment that passed, it grew a little stronger and a little more aware._

 _As time passed, it became aware of its own body. It could feel the little pulses it sent to its tiny little toes, felt them twitch in response. It could feel its own tiny little heart beating inside its chest, and somehow, it knew that the rapid little tha-thump was the sound of life._

 _There was a voice that the computer began to play. It was a deep voice, gruff and without feeling. It was still too small, it didn't understand. The voice played over and over, drowned and muffled. The little tiny being tried to listen, tried to hear what it was saying._

 ** _"Your name is Cell. You were created to kill…"_**

 _The rest was cut off as the entire world shook violently. Small rocks and debris rained down from the rocky ceiling, and a dusty haze filled the air outside the tank. The little creature could barely see, its eyes were under-developed, its body, far from finished. Its natural instincts kicked in, and it's little tiny toes wiggled in a reaction to the apparent danger, not that it did any good._

 _The computer roared into a new life, gauges flicking from green to red as warning lights turned the gentle green liquid into harsh shades of flashing red. An alarm screamed but it was drowned out by the thunderous roar overhead._

 _Finally the shaking stopped, the rain of dust ceased and the little creature stopped being sloshed around inside the tank. But the computer continued to flash. One of the mechanical arms whirled into life as it began to rewire the console at the base of the tank. Within moments, the task was completed, and there was a new buzz of activity beneath the tank. The little creature could not see but it could hear, and it could feel._

 _The gentle stream of bubbles from below began to rush faster and stronger. Very quickly, the bubbles became a torrent of heat and energy. It was almost too much to bear, and the little creature shut its eyes tight, balling its body up protectively as the torrent raged harder._

 _Power surged through its body, and it felt everything shifting, moving, changing. Its legs grew stronger, thicker and longer as its body grew rapidly. The computer was pumping it full of energy, triggering a rapid growth. Within minutes, the little creature had grown from something the size of tennis ball to suddenly being cramped up against the edges of the glass, and still it grew. It couldn't keep up with the changes in its body, but it became more aware, more alert and hungrier._

 _Unable to contain the creature's body, the glass cracked under the strain and with a twitch of its legs, the glass shattered. Liquid and shards of glass erupted out across the laboratory floor, and the not-so-little creature crashed on the cold and hard floor._

 _The computer beeped and the alarms wailed for several moments as the creature lay stunned on the floor. The warmth and comfort of the artificial womb were gone. Cold harsh air chilled the creatures' new skin, and its lungs screamed for air. It heaved, sucking in the icy air, feeling it burn its tender new throat as it rushed into its new lungs. But it was relief. It could breathe. The alarms finally stopped and quite suddenly, the computer switched off. The world was suddenly silent and dark. Only the ambient lights on the far wall illuminated this new world._

 _Slowly the creature tried to move. It could wiggle its legs and it tried to get its feet underneath it, but its body was huge and awkward and its legs were short and stubby. Every failed attempt made it learn. And it learned fast. It managed to use its momentum to roll onto its belly, pulling its feet under it. One of its feet scrapped across a shard of glass and the creature hissed in pain._

 _It was its first experience of pain and as it looked down at the small cut, oozing purple liquid, it decided it did not like pain. It smelt the strong metallic tang of its own blood and gently it licked the wound. The taste was sharp and potent, but not unpleasant. The wound healed almost instantly and the pain stopped. The little creature licked the rest of the blood off its skin before it finally took in its surroundings._

 _It did not mind the dark or the silence. It was not afraid. But it was curious. It took several tentative steps, wobbling and uncertain at first. But it quickly learned how to move around with its awkward body. It smelt the amniotic fluid that covered the floor, a reassuring smell. It could also smell burning, charred metal and dust._

 _A strange sensation inside its body gave the creature pause. It felt… hungry. It didn't quite understand what this was, but it was an unpleasant sensation, one that made it think that it needed to get out of this room. Its curiosity was more urgent now as it inspected the room. It categorised things as important or not important. Important was relevant to its survival. The amniotic fluid on the floor was important; it had given it life and food. It licked the fluid from the floor, but it tasted vile and wrong and it snarled in anger. It was no longer important._

 _It examined the now lifeless computer consoles. It nudged some of the dials and buttons with its beaked mouth but nothing happened. Not important. It inspected some of the other contraptions around the room but few things gave it more than a moment's pause. Eventually it found a slightly raised circular platform with a metal railing around one side of it. It slowly stepped onto it, and felt it vibrate and the lights on the small console on the railing light up. This made it hesitate, but eventually, curiosity forced it to completely step onto the platform._

 _Unfortunately, the little console was out of reach on the railing. It took several moments before the little creature managed to step up on its hind legs, propping its awkward bulk up on the railing. It nudged the buttons with its mouth and the small elevator rewarded its efforts by suddenly lifting it up._

 _A protective hatch opened up over the top as the elevator went up. Debris rained down through the opened hatch and the creature hunkered down as the debris bounced harmlessly off of its thick-skinned back. The elevator shuddered to a stop and the creature finally looked around. It was dark and the wind was cool. Whatever had existed here before was gone. Huge piles of rocks, debris and twisted metal made up the landscape. The creature stepped off the platform and cautiously made its way around the piles. It smelt of burning and the smell set the creature on edge._

 _Eventually, after deciding that there was nothing for it here, the creature made its way down the rocky sloped path and into a forested area. The forest was a whole new world to it, and everything needed to be examined. Leaves on the small bushes smelt like life and it cautiously grabbed one in its mouth and chewed. The taste was not appealing and it dismissed it as not important. The dirt beneath its feet smelt strongly of organic matter, decomposing leaves and dirt. A tiny insect scuttling over a leaf caught its attention and it watched it moving for a moment before it quickly snatched it into its mouth. It crunched satisfyingly and the taste was better than the leaf but not by much._

 _The creature moved on. It discovered some wild strawberries growing in an open patch of forest. The smell was strange and the creature, ever curious, tried one. The taste was a huge shock to the system. Sour but sweet, and very powerful. The creature decided the berries were a much better alternative to the leaves and he spent several moments munching on all the red ones it could find. It decided it did not like the bitter taste of the green ones._

 _Unfortunately the berries were very unsatisfying. It devoured all of them within minutes but was even hungrier than before. It grunted angrily as it set off into the dark forest again._

 _It discovered a stream cutting through the forest floor and this tempted its curiosity again. It watched the water for a while before it dared a closer examination. It was icy cold against its skin, but it tasted refreshing. It drank its fill for several moments._

 _Sudden sounds snapped its head up and it watched as a huge deer emerged from the underbrush. The deer regarded the creature for a while, sniffing the air before it decided that the creature was not a carnivore threat and it lowered its head to the water, drinking. The creature stared at it intently, felt something shifting inside of it. It wanted… no... It needed that deer. Everything inside of the creature became intently focused on the animal, desire and hunger fuelled it to action._

 _Slowly the creature ambled a little closer. The deer looked up again, staring intently. The creature froze, observing. The deer snorted and turned away from the water, heading slowly back into the forest. The creature snapped its beak in frustration and broke into a run after the deer. The deer panicked and it leaped away, so much faster than the creature on its tiny stubby legs._

 _The creature roared in frustration. It wanted that deer! It could smell it and it smelt like food. Real food. The creature's anger shifted something inside of it, and it stopped suddenly, frozen as its body reacted. It needed to be stronger, faster and better equipped to hunt the food it needed._

 _So it changed. The creature's body fell to the floor as it changed inside. The creature suddenly felt like its skin wasn't its skin and it needed to get out. It squirmed and the spine of its outer shell split open with a loud crack. The creature gasped for air as it clawed its way free, falling to the ground with a howl of surprise and shock._

 _It did not know how it had done that, but it stared intently at its old body, now nothing more than a husk. It looked down at its new body. It was on all fours, but that didn't feel right. Its limbs were much longer now, and its arms now had very flexible clawed hands instead of stubby little toes. It sat on its knees as it lifted its hands to its face, inspecting them carefully. Its tail lashed out behind it._

 _It looked back over its shoulder; saw the long, thick tail twisting out behind it. As it looked it became aware of it and it slowly lifted it and moved it. The long pointed stinger on the tip made its stomach growl in hunger._

 _The creature slowly tried to stand on its legs, but it fell back to its knees. It needed to learn how to balance on two legs. It took several moments, and eventually it used a tree to hold itself steady. Its toes were long and grasping and they dug into the ground for extra balance as its tail lashed out behind it, trying to steady it._

 _Slowly it learned how to walk on its new body. It was much taller now, and the branches of the trees became an obstacle course. But it learnt fast. Within minutes it was moving rapidly through the forest, leaning forward with its arms tucked to its chest as its tail and wings offered balance._

 _Its new eye sight was far more focused and it could see distant movement with surprisingly acuteness. Its hearing had improved as well and it became aware of the movement of the small animals and birds in the tree branches overhead._

 _It stopped suddenly as something caught its attention. It lowered itself to the ground, instinctively hiding as it watched. It saw the deer up ahead, underneath some large trees, head lowered as it foraged on the forest floor._

 _The creature's eyes narrowed as it focused. Slowly it moved forward, its feet cushioning its approach, making it almost silent. The deer's ears pricked up and it turned towards the creature, but it was far too slow. The creature charged, throwing its full weight against the deer, its clawed feet and hands digging into the flesh of the deer's side. The momentum tore the deer from its feet and it crashed to its side with the creature on top of it. The creature's fangs tore into the flesh of the deer's throat._

 _Hot blood poured into its mouth, salty and sweet. The deer screamed and kicked out. Instinct drove the creature as its long tail arched over its head and drove deep into the side of the deer._

 _The creature, known as Cell, enjoyed its first real meal as it absorbed the life energy of the deer. Within seconds there was nothing left, except a smear of blood on Cell's face and claws. The deer's' knowledge added to his own. He became aware of the trails through the forest, the best grazing spots, what leaves were edible, which weren't, the turn of the seasons and were the humans were._

 _Humans._

 ** _Your name is Cell. You were created to kill._**

 _Cell's face broke into a grin as he recalled the only words he could remember._

 _"Ceelllllll." He hissed happily. His camouflaged skin hid him perfectly in the forest and he headed for where the human camps were. He was starving._

 _By the time dawn broke, Cell had wiped out an entire camp site. Every human he consumed added to his internal knowledge. He categorised information as important or not important. Locations of cities were important. What people did with their lives was not important. Memories were not important. Only what he could use._

 _He delighted in the screams of people as he hunted them. He felt elated, powerful and unstoppable. Every human he found, he drove his tail into their weak bodies and sucked their life force out. Their faces twisted in fear, images that burned into Cell's memories as their clothes littered the ground. He turned populated areas into ghost towns. Nothing could stop him._

 _Until he met him. He had been hunting people inside a populated city, relishing the hunt, when he was interrupted. Stunned by the appearance of another version of himself. He had been curious, but the other Cell was different. Not right. Cell decided that there could only be one Cell and he had attacked. This new Cell was strange, he didn't fight like a hunter. He punched and kicked and his movements were very restrained and precise. Cell learned quickly, adapting to the strange style. He read the movements and dodged the powerful strikes. He was cunning and alert and he was enjoying his first real challenge immensely._

 _Suddenly, the new Cell had knocked him back and taken shelter, hiding. Cell was angry and he wanted to finish the fight, but then Piccolo had appeared. Cell's first encounter with Piccolo had not been a pleasant one. The tall green Namekian had been a complete mystery to Cell. He knew nothing of the alien, but he quickly learned that the alien was not like the humans or like the other Cell. Piccolo could fight back, and he could hurt Cell, badly. Cell tried to absorb the alien, steal his life force, but that failed. Piccolo became increasingly angry when Cell wouldn't answer his questions and he tired of their fight. He was going to kill Cell._

 _Cell barely managed to escape. He was aware that he 'knew' things that he couldn't understand. The knowledge came to him when he needed it. He did not know how to fight, but with every punch and kick that Piccolo threw at him, he learned and adapted. But when he felt like he was threatened, the knowledge of fighting techniques surfaced in his mind. Focus the energy outwards, only light energy, not heat._

 _He performed his first solar flare, and managed to escape Piccolo. He kept himself hidden, hunkering down to the ground as his body camouflaged in the forest outside the town. His energy hunkered down with him, naturally supressing it as he hid. Cell was more careful after that._

 _He began to attack populated areas in blitz attacks, feasting as quickly as he could before fleeing. Piccolo was a threat he could not defeat yet. Every experience gave him new knowledge. Cell adapted and learned at an astonishing rate. But he still ran on instinct and urge. The urge to hunt, to feed was a powerful driving force for him and he did not even try to struggle against it. He enjoyed the hunt._

 ** _You were created to kill._**

 _So he killed. And killed. And killed…_

\/\\*/\/

Cell's eyes opened slowly and he shook the memories of Other Cell from his system. He was standing in his arena, arms folded across his chest. Morning broke in a brilliant array of colours, painting the clouds in pinks and golds. It would have been beautiful, but he was not in the mood to appreciate natural wonders. He was angry, seething internally. He had spent hours trying to come up with the best plan of action. Unfortunately, nothing would work. He couldn't even tell where Rowan was.

Kami's' lookout was masterfully positioned, somewhere high up in the atmosphere, a rather spectacular formation that masked chi from the people below. He couldn't get a clear lock on Rowan, and only knew the general area she was in. Flying towards it would alert anyone on the lookout to his intention and that would end in unnecessary confrontation and wouldn't help.

He was starting to accept that he simply wouldn't see Rowan until after the tournament. Something he was disgruntled about, and only made him all the more impatient. A small thought crept into the back of his head, that it wasn't such a bad thing. Rowan was like a drug, and he didn't need such a distraction. Even if he wanted it.

Cell was aware of the dozens' of life force signatures scattered in the area around his arena. People were curious. He paid them little mind. They were nothing to him unless they dared to step foot in his arena. Then they would find him to be a most unwelcoming host. But for now, they were keeping their distance.

His agitation was getting worse. He was finding it increasingly difficult to stand still and it was almost impossible to focus his mind and meditate. Finally, he relented. He couldn't stay where he was. He needed to do something to distract himself. His wings opened and within seconds, he was little more than a golden spec way up in the sky.

He continued to power up, the atmosphere thinning and freezing. It was surprisingly refreshing on Cell's exposed face. He braced himself for the transition as he left the atmosphere completely, the bright blue sunny sky giving way to the vast empty black of space, dotted with the brilliant stars, so clear and visible now he was away from the planet. The sun was brilliant to his left. He couldn't stare at it, so he turned away, and blasted into the darker depths.

It took him several minutes to reach the asteroid belt, which was a good 200 million kilometres away. At least in space, away from the planet, he could truly let his energy out. It felt good to unleash his power as he obliterated the giant chunks of rocks. He held nothing back, venting his anger and frustration without consequence.

Rowan fidgeted. She was sitting cross legged on the white tiles in the outside plaza of the Look-Out. She was aware that she was being watched by Piccolo intently as he stood on the edge, wearing his usual scowl of disapproval. Mr Popo and Dande were sitting at a small table, making small talk and failing to hide their curiosity at what Rowan and this strange new alien, Quill were doing.

Quill was seated directly opposite Rowan, sitting calm and peaceful, not moving a muscle. Rowan couldn't help it. It was hard for her to focus on her own mind when she was far too aware of other people.

"You need to calm your mind, Rowan." Quill reprimanded her again. Rowan sighed and gave up.

"I'm trying. It's not easy." Quill frowned and opened his eyes, looking straight at her.

"Perhaps we can try a different tactic then. It's not ideal, but it will help in this situation." Rowan made a small 'o' with her mouth as Quill shifted closer, until their knees were touching. His long, thin antennae arched over his head with a little wiggle.

"Er…" Rowan stared at them, feeling apprehensive.

"Don't worry. This will be a little strange, but I'll explain everything as we go along. Just try to relax." Rowan did as she was told and watched as the antennae tips slowly reached out to her temples. They were quite warm, and she felt the spark of energy as they touched her skin.

Suddenly her senses all shut down and everything went black. But she wasn't unconscious, she was aware of herself, but nothing else. She stood up suddenly and looked around. There was nothing, absolute nothingness in every direction. Quill wasn't sitting in front of her touching her temples with his antennae. He was simply not there. She tried moving a few steps but it was strange walking on nothing and she began to panic.

"Rowan, are you Okay?" Rowan whirled around at the sudden sound of Quills' voice. He was standing a few feet from her. Only he looked surreal, not quite right. Like he was a little fuzzy around the edges.

"Quill, what's going on? Where are we?"

"We're inside your head. I had to block your senses in order to force you into this state. I'd rather if you could do it on your own, but we are short on time and I have a lot to show you." Rowan stared at him dumbfounded.

"Inside… My head?" Quill nodded.

"Have you ever heard of mental maps before, Rowan?" Quill asked. Rowan shook her head in response, frowning. Quill shrugged. "No matter. I'll try to explain. A mental map is basically what you call the place that comprises most of your conscious mind. Everyone has one, and everyone's map is unique to them. It is usually represented as a place that is very special to them. The best way to describe it is that a mental map is like the base of operations to a person's mind. It has places for memories, information and data recollection and thought processes."

"I'm going to give you control of your senses back. Hopefully you can maintain your control over your current conscious state and we can see what your mental map is like."

"I have no idea what you're talking about to be honest." Rowan said, feeling quite small as she took in what Quill was telling her. Quill laughed and nodded.

"It's going to be a bit of a challenge to tell you. It's better to just show you. Most people can't see their own mental maps, as they don't go inside their own heads. People who can however, find that their minds can do rather remarkable things." Rowan nodded but she still felt confused.

Quill's face turned neutral for a moment and she felt his control over her ease. The black eased and gave way to brilliant light that blinded her for a moment before it began to come into focus. It was a huge grassy field with gentle rolling hills and a winding pathway through the middle of it. There were huge oak trees and a sand pit with a play set in the middle. Shady towering shapes in the distance indicated a city-scape.

"Oh, I remember this place! It's the park that was down the road from my old school! I used to come here all the time when I was a kid!" Rowan ran at the big grassy hill and laughing like a maniac, she threw herself down the side, rolling and tumbling while giggling. Quill watched her with a smile.

"Interesting choice for a mental map!" He called out as she came running back to him, covered with little blades of grass and her hair flying wildly behind her.

"I loved this place! I think it got turned into a housing estate though." Rowan said a little sadly. Quill nodded and looked around before he exclaimed.

"Ah, that's what we want!" He pointed to a huge oak tree. Underneath it was a small domed house. It was her capsule house. Rowan stared at it for a moment before she followed Quill who had begun to walk towards it.

"Odd. Why is my house here?" Quill looked back over his shoulder with a wide smile.

"You need a place of operations! This is just your outside. I'll explain more later. Come on, I need you to let me inside." Quill stopped outside the door and waited for Rowan to catch up. She put her hand on the door handle and felt strangely apprehensive.

"What's inside?" She asked hesitantly. Quill grinned.

"Everything that is a part of you! Your memories, your thoughts, your subconscious as well as everything you've ever learned. Everything that makes you, you, is behind that door." Rowan felt hesitant, but she was curious. She opened the door and stepped inside.

It was her room, but larger, and filled with giant piles of mess. She stared around for a few moments before she knelt down and picked up the first thing she saw. It was an apple. As she touched it, the room transformed into the orchard where she had thrown the apple at Cell. She could see him clear as day. The trees were fuzzy and blurry, but everything about him was clear as he caught the apple and then bit into it.

She dropped the apple and the vision disappeared.

"Tsk tsk, I don't think much of your housekeeping skills Rowan. This place is a mess." Quill complained, ignoring what had just happened. Rowan was still reeling from the memory.

"What… Just happened?" She asked, wide-eyed and a little taken-aback.

"Everything in these piles is a memory, or piece of information. Basically, it's what you know. You need to clean it up, sort them into rooms and categories. The more organized your main room is, the far better it is for you. You'll find it a lot easier to remember information and memories when you have it all sorted out and you don't have to dig for it. You'll also find that it will be a lot easier to store information when you have this place cleaned up." Quill didn't touch anything, although he did look around.

"How? I mean, how do I clean this up? If I touch anything, it'll trigger a memory." Quill chuckled again.

"This is inside your mind. You don't have to touch anything. Just will it to where it needs to go. First though, you need to organize the rooms where you're going to store everything. It will take a fair bit of time." Rowan nodded and took a deep breath. It was a huge task.

As she began to understand how her mind worked, it became easier and faster. She organized her mental rooms into categories. She found she could even add sub- rooms inside rooms. Quill watched her. She wasn't even aware that as she sorted through her mind, that things took on unique looks. The walls of her house in reality were a bland colour, but in here it became a light purple colour with hundreds of picture frames and posters on the walls. Each, represented something special to her, things that she considered to be precious as she sorted through her collection.

Finally, the room was clean. Quill sat himself on the incredibly comfortable couch as Rowan looked at the posters on the wall. Cell was a very large poster at eye height. The small bug-like Seru was on the right side in another large poster. Underneath that was Seru, the evolved form. On the right side of the Perfect-form Cell was the monster. She was tempted to tear up that poster, but she knew she couldn't, as he was as much a part of Cell as Seru was.

Quill watched her as she stared at the pictures.

"So, the blood wasn't lying. There is more than one Cell." Rowan looked back at him.

"Was. There were two Cells. But they sort of merged. Now there's only him." Quill frowned.

"And you've given yourself to all 3?" She felt her cheeks burn at the question and she turned away from Quill, looking at Cell's face.

"I gave myself to Seru so he could stop the Other Cell. But Other Cell found me before Seru found him." She said quietly. "Seru was my best friend. He stayed with me for four years while his body was maturing. I don't deny that I loved him dearly."

"What about the new Cell?" Rowan lowered her head.

"I don't know. I see so much of Seru in him, and he treats me well. I know he won't hurt me, but… I also know he wants to hurt others. He does such terrible things to people. Even if I do love him, he's done so much to make others suffer." Quill stood up slowly and stretched.

"Right-o. Well, now that I know that you two do share a bond, the trick now, is to find where it is in here." Rowan whirled around, locking her eyes with Quill as he pushed a kink out of his back.

"Bond?" She asked. He smiled.

"You're a Tecktarian. We bond for life to those we share ourselves with. The stronger the bond between two people, the stronger the connection. I've no doubt at all that you have a strong connection with Cell, and his two counterparts. So I've absolutely no doubt, that you have a bond with him, which should be visible in your mind somewhere." Rowan stared at him blankly as the information sank in.

"Bond… for life?" Quill squirmed under her gaze and was reluctant to reply, but eventually he sighed.

"To be entirely honest, in Tecktarian society, you and Cell would be considered mated… Which is usually a for-life kind of deal. And, it's also usually something that can't be easily broken. Meaning you would find it difficult to simply find someone else at this point." Rowan frowned.

"But… Cell told me about… me in the future. The other Rowan. She slept with multiple people." Quill frowned.

"I don't pretend to know the details. It could be just because you're only a half breed, or it could have been the fact that her first time wasn't with someone she cared for, or that her first partner had even died, releasing the bond. There are a number of factors as to why she could have given herself away so freely, although regardless, I've no doubt that it was taking its toll on her."

"I see. So what does that mean for me, now?" Quill frowned as he thought.

"I hate to say it, but because you have such strong feelings towards Cell, you may not be able to willingly break the bond you do have. I don't think you'll be able to give him up. It's made worse, because you are so young still, making the bond even stronger. You're going to be drawn to him when you aren't around him, and when you are, you're going to find it hard to resist him." Rowan felt her face flush again.

"Yeah I've noticed that." Rowan mumbled. Quill laughed and shrugged.

"What's done is done. It's not a bad thing entirely anyway." Rowan studied Quills face.

"What do you mean?"

"A bond is a two way street. I'll show you, as soon as we find it. Come on, let's go back outside."

Rowan was silent as they headed outside. The warm breeze rustled the leaves in the grand oak tree and she could smell fresh-baked bread rolls and freshly cut grass. Two smells she really loved. Quill was already off around the side of the house. After a moment, Rowan followed.

"AH-HA!" Quill exclaimed loudly. Rowan rushed to join his side, and stared at the faintly glowing blue line that snaked out of the side of the house and up the trunk of the tree, stopping at a small blue sphere the size of her hand that was embedded into the trunk of the tree.

"What is that?" Rowan asked as she stared at it. It was beautiful, softly glowing a warm blue colour.

"Touch it and find out." Quill said with a grin. "Only you can touch it. It's your bond."

Rowan hesitated for a moment, but as she reached her hand out towards it, she felt only warmth and comfort. Her fingers brushed against the surface and it rippled. Instantly, she felt herself fall, just for the briefest moment.

Suddenly she was standing on white-marbled tiles. Directly behind her was a monstrous stone wall that stretched way up into the sky, higher than she could see. Embedded in the wall was the same small blue sphere she had just touched. She followed the line that rand down the wall, across the tiled floor and towards the most grand and impressive looking marble palace she had ever seen.

It was beyond fantastical and grand.

"I'm in Cell's head." She said to herself as she realized the grand white and gold architecture, so immaculately presented could only belong to the android. There was no garden or trees, but there were several white stone statues, each reminiscent of the old masters.

A giant fountain graced the base of the huge stone stair case that led to the door. Rowan regarded the fountain for a moment, taking in everything that Cell's mind offered. His tastes in art were very dignified and refined, but the fountain struck her as strange.

And then she realized why. Instead of the usual virgin holding the water pitcher over her head, it was a white-stone Rowan with her hair cascading down her bare back, immortalized in stone. She was standing on a giant lily flower with the water pitcher held out over her head. The water ran purely in a stream into the open petals of another flower that was raised out of the water, and then cascaded into the fountain below.

Rowan couldn't tear her eyes from the details in the stone. She could see the faint veins in the marble and it almost made the smooth stone skin look real. Finally, she turned away from the fountain and headed up the monstrous stairs that made her feel dwarfed and insignificant. Cell's ego was surprisingly comforting to her as she approached the mahogany doors with their intricate gold leaf engravings. They looked heavy and imposing, but they opened silently at her gentle touch.

The welcoming room was a giant open room with huge twisted stairs of white marble and gold detailing. The carpet was deep purple with more gold. Huge vine-leaf pillars supported the monstrous domed –window ceiling and the landing of the second floor. Huge doors opened up along the second floor, each door delicately carved with golden words. She couldn't read them from so far away, but she was never-the-less impressed with the grandeur of Cell's inner mind. On the bottom floor, she could see three doors. One of them was open.

She was drawn to the room, and she stopped in the open doorway. It was beautiful, but smaller than she had been expecting. There were ornate shelves in this room, stacked with books and beautiful little ornate knick-knacks and the carpet was plush under her feet. Gold-framed paintings hung on three of the walls. But the fourth wall was just a giant screen. A screen that was currently filled with images of meteorites and space.

Cell stood in front of the screen, completely absorbed in what he was watching. He looked tense, his arms at his side, his shoulders bunched up, his wings slightly ajar and his head lowered as he watched. Rowan froze as she saw him. He didn't know she was there. He probably wasn't expecting anyone to ever intrude in his mind, especially not with the monstrous walls he had built outside, protecting himself.

Rowan watched him for a while, feeling her heart fluttering in her chest. His thoughts flashed in a blur of colour and images on the screen, too fast for her to catch more than a glimpse of, but she still recognised her own face.

He held his hand out, and the shard of bloodied glass appeared in his hand. His memory of the last time they had been together flashed up on the screen. It froze on her in his arms, bloodied but smiling up at him. She looked so frail on the big screen. But she also looked distorted. She was sure her hair wasn't that perfect, especially after the battle. She was definitely sure her skin wasn't that smooth, or that her breasts were that firm. Rowan felt her face flush as she realized that this was how Cell saw her.

He didn't see her imperfections. She was beautiful to him. Her urge to touch him and to comfort him then was overwhelming and she quickly ran across the carpet.

"Cell!" His reaction was visceral. The screen flashed to black and he whirled around, shocked and angered, instinctively slipping into a battle stance. She felt herself fall suddenly and before she knew it, she was back in her own mind again, staring at the blue ball in the tree trunk.

"What happened?" Quill asked her. She stared at the ball for a moment.

"I think I startled him and then I was back here."

"Ah. He is a very clever man. I'm not surprised he can lock his mind. Don't worry, it's only temporary, and I'm sure he didn't mean to. Probably just a reaction to finding you in his head." Quill shrugged and Rowan just stared sadly at the ball of blue light.

"He has a very nice Palace…" She said meekly. Quill laughed.

"Of course he does. I wouldn't be surprised if he's built it to be his place of solitude and peace. He probably knows all about Mental Maps and how to use them, the clever bastard." Rowan frowned at her uncle as he cursed. Quill just shrugged.

"Well, now you've had quite a bit of fun and you've learned a lot. Unfortunately, we've barely scratched the surface of information you need to know. Let's go back inside. I want to show you more."

Back inside her house, Rowan sat on the couch next to her uncle. He smiled at her warmly.

"I'd prefer to teach you everything the normal way, to give you time to let it sink in and process. But that would take months, if not years. We have maybe 3 days before the tournament." Quill said with his characteristic smile.

"Will any of it be relevant to Cell?" Rowan asked. Quill's face turned into a frown.

"Everything I want to teach you will be relevant. But we don't have time. So I'm going to just give you all the information I have in one go. It will be like a huge data dump and it will overwhelm you until you can sort it all out and process it." Rowan frowned but she gave her uncle a small nod of understanding.

"Okay." Quill's antennae reached out to Rowan's temples again.

"Then let's begin."

Cell struggled to calm his mind back down. He wasn't imagining it. He hadn't just seen her, he could smell her as well. Every sense he had, screamed that she had actually been there, in his head, not as a figment. But that was impossible. The shock had caught him off guard and he had slammed up his walls, forcing himself to focus and she had disappeared. He had locked her out, he realized, but when he went looking for her, she was gone.

"What the hell is going on?" He wondered to himself. He turned his focus inside his own mind, and he walked through the grand hallways, examining his own mind carefully.

Eventually, he was certain that she was gone. There was no trace of her anywhere inside his palace. This only made him more disgruntled. He took his new-found frustration out on a moon-sized hunk of rock, blasting it with a particularly forceful Kamehameha wave, obliterating the rock. Venting his frustration was no longer working and with a very powerful surge of energy, he blasted back towards the Earth.

Piccolo watched in awe as Rowan sat cross legged on the tiled floor with her uncle, her body glowing blue. She was unmoving, but the energy that was surging within her was astounding. It was nothing compared to his own, but it was more than he had thought someone like her could possess.

"I wonder what's happening." Mr Popo asked Dende quietly. Dende stared with wide-eyed wonder.

"I don't know." Dende replied.

Suddenly Quills' eyes opened and he quickly scuttled back away from Rowan's unmoving form. He stood up and dusted his robe off.

"I think that should do it." He said with a grin.

"You, what did you do?" Piccolo growled angrily. Quill gave him a smile.

"I taught her how to use her energy." Quill replied simply.

"Why?" Piccolo demanded. Quill tilted his head to his side in bewilderment.

"What do you mean why? To help her deal with Cell of course." Piccolo laughed.

"You really think that pathetic amount of energy will stop Cell? You're mad!" Quill put his fists on his hips and frowned.

"She's a Tecktarian. We don't fight. We're pacifists."

"That makes it even worse! How can she possibly help if she can't even fight?"

"I never said she was going to fight. Besides, Cell and her are a mated pair. She couldn't really hurt him if she wanted to. Not without hurting herself in the process." Quill shrugged and stared down at Rowan. She was still unmoving, glowing blue. He knew she would be struggling with all the information he had given her. She wouldn't be listening to his conversation.

"Mated pair? What? Explain yourself!" Piccolo's energy flared around him in anger. Quill grinned.

"Shoot me, I dare you." He said. Piccolo roared and threw an energy ball at him with a sudden ferocity. The energy ball disappeared as Quill held up his hand. His grin turned malicious.

"What?!" Piccolo roared and used both hands to power up another blast. He let it loose and it too, disappeared. Quill grinned and lifted his hand over his head as he released the energy.

"See, she can help you without fighting." He said as he lowered his hand. Piccolo glared daggers at Quill but didn't fire any more blasts at him.

"So you can absorb energy." Piccolo snarled. Quill shrugged.

"Only if you shoot it at me. And even then, only so much before it becomes overwhelming and we have to vent it out. We have our limits you know."

"What about her?" Piccolo nodded towards Rowan who was still unmoving, unpassed by what was happening around her.

"I have no idea! I just gave her the information. She can do what she likes with it." Quill grinned sheepishly. "She could be your greatest ally or your worst enemy at this point, assuming she has all the abilities of her mother."

"Damnit!" Piccolo yelled.

"Ultimately, I feel it will come down to whether she believes she can change Cell's mind or if she accepts that such a thing is impossible. Unfortunately, she has the attitude of a naive girl. So I wouldn't hold your breath personally. But still, there's a chance. She's a bright kid."

Rowans aura went from a gentle glow to a sudden flaming mountain of blue fire. Quill laughed.

"I think she's got it!" He yelled. Piccolo stared in shock. Her energy was strange, foreign and bizarre.

"What's she doing?" He demanded.

"Learning! It's fantastic. Anyhoo, I've done what I can. So I'm going to get going. Personally, as a smart individual, I don't want to be on any planet that Cell's on for too long!" Quill had to yell over the sound of the raging inferno. Piccolo opened his mouth to yell out something else, but stopped as Quill gave a strange two fingered salute, before he suddenly disappeared.

"Strange species." Mr Popo said quietly as he stared at Rowan's unmoving form, engulfed in blue fire. Dende could only nod his agreement.

Cell's senses flickered and then flared as they locked onto something strange. It felt like Rowan, but different at the same time, and the energy was much greater than Rowan's had been. He stopped, high up in the atmosphere of the Earth. He had been returning to his arena, but up here he could feel much more clearly, and he could sense where the energy was coming from. Unfortunately, that meant the others could too.

No, he couldn't go there. In another frustrating surge of energy he flew away from the lookout and the energy. He needed time to think. Somewhere quiet away from people.

Rowan struggled with the immense knowledge that had been dumped in her mind. The history of her people, how they had once been a peaceful but mighty economic power in the galaxy. They had attracted attention, and eventually, they had attracted the wrong attention. A soured business deal saw their home planet destroyed mercilessly. Only a few hundred Tecktarians had survived, those who had been off world on business ventures at the time.

She knew about their traditions, their legends and their abilities. She knew what her people could do, and she was aware of what she could do.

Quills' information was precise and she knew what she had to do. She tried it, finding her 'well' of energy and then she tapped into it. The power rushed through her body and she fought to bring it under her control.

But she managed. She 'knew' focus and she 'knew' how to use it. Quill's knowledge was extensive and she was grateful for his experiences as well, giving her something to draw upon.

Finally, she brought her power to bear and she felt it surge around her body. She had never felt so strong, so capable, so fierce before. She could feel the power in her body, strengthening her muscles, tightening her tendons and honing her senses.

Rowan also now 'knew' a few new tricks. Quill's knowledge of how to teleport had become her own, although she wasn't sure if she was actually able to do it. Knowing how to do something, and actually doing it, was two different things.

Slowly Rowan opened her eyes. Her world was tinted blue and fiery. It took her a moment to realize that was her own energy. She quickly released her focus and her hold over her energy and she felt it relent and her fiery aura, vanished. She released the breath she had been holding and panted for a moment to catch her breath.

"Phew." Slowly Rowan stood up and dusted off her robes and her cloak. Piccolo was still standing where she had seen him last, his back to her. She couldn't Quill anywhere. She was about to ask Piccolo, but she stopped herself. She took a calming breath and closed her eyes. Quill had given her the knowledge to track those she shared bonds with. Blue bonds were bonds of blood. The stronger a bond, the thicker it was and the more it glowed. Her bond with Quill was thin and weak compared to Cells'.

Inside her mental house, she had arranged the starting point of all her bonds on the coffee table. Rather than tracing them outside, she could touch the spheres on the table instead. Cells' was the largest and it glowed the brightest. Something that made her smile.

Quill's and her fathers' were the only other two bonds that were blue. There were dozens of Yellow bonds, bonds that represented people she cared about. She wouldn't be able to visit these people, but she still arranged them neatly. She picked up Quills' sphere and focused. She didn't want to visit his mind, she just wanted to know his location and with Quills' knowledge, she had the focus to avoid being drawn into his mental place.

The sphere gave her all the information she needed, including a general sense of his mood and wellbeing. Quill wasn't close by. He wasn't even on Earth anymore. He had teleported far away. She could barely sense him and she sighed.

"Thank you Quill." She said to the ball before she placed it back in its small holder on the table. She couldn't resist picking up Cells'. She held the sphere in her hands, felt its warmth and focused. Cell was a fair ways away. Not at his arena, but close. He was in her house, she realized suddenly.

"You sneaky bastard. What are you doing in my house?" She asked herself. She was very tempted to visit him again, but she was aware that she was standing in the lookout and she put the sphere down. "Later." She promised herself.

Rowan brought herself back to the real world. Barely an instant had passed but she felt stupid for standing still anyway. She turned towards the temple. Mr Popo and Dende were sitting at a small garden table to the side of the doorway.

"Are you Okay Rowan?" Mr Popo asked. Rowan nodded.

"I think I'm better than I've ever been, Mr Popo." She replied before she turned back to the door and headed towards her room.

She closed the door, and slipped off her cloak and robes before she slipped into her bed. She lay there, staring up at the ceiling, but seeing nothing. Her attention was inwards.

She held Cell's sphere in her hands, staring at the rippling blue surface before she finally forced herself to follow the trail. The sudden feeling of falling would be something she'd never get used to, before she found herself outside Cell's mental palace again.

Rowan found her way inside and back to the open doorway of Cell's conscious mind. He was there again, his back to her as dozens of objects floated around him. He was deep in concentrated thought, pulling data from different sources. On the screen, she could see his pale white fingers dancing across the keyboard of a computer. It was her laptop, she realized, as she saw the little dolphin sticker on the top of the keyboard.

His attention was on the screen of the laptop. Lines upon lines of numbers and graphs were scrolling past at a rapid rate. She had no chance of reading what was going on, but Cell appeared to have no trouble in keeping up. It was something else that just boggled her mind. His ability to think and process was so much greater than her own.

She didn't want to startle him again, so she remained in the doorway, content to just watch him as he worked. Some objects disappeared as he no longer needed them; new ones appeared as he recalled more information. Rowan couldn't keep track of the data, she couldn't even hazard a guess at what he was up to. But she admired him all the same. His brain was a beautiful thing.

Slowly Cell lifted his face up. He was sniffing. Rowan realized he could smell her, just as he turned, looking back at her. He didn't freak out this time, he just stared. The objects all vanished and the data stopped as he lost his focus.

"Rowan…?" Cell stared at her, surprised, but not in a bad way. Rowan couldn't stop the giant smile that appeared on her face.

"Hey, you." It took Cell several seconds before he finally regained his composure.

"You're actually inside my head, aren't you? I'm not imagining this?" Rowan grinned at his question.

"No you're not. I am in your head. It's a Tecktarian thing. Quill taught me how to do it." She rushed her words out as Cell slowly approached her.

"I see." He paused in front of her, staring at her as if she was a strange new being. She felt a little uncomfortable under that stare.

"Cell… You're staring…" She finally mumbled. Cell waved a hand absently at the screen behind him. She looked and stared. She saw her as he saw her. She had changed slightly. Only slightly. Her skin was more pale, but not in an unhealthy way. Her eyes were very slightly pointed now. Her skin was smooth and her hair was shiny and full of life. She knew he was bias, that he saw her without her imperfections, but this was ridiculous. She looked… Beautiful. She saw her face flush, and rather than making her look stupid, it made her look desirable. It was too much and she tore her eyes from the screen. It went black again.

Rowan struggled to find something to say. His stare was intense and she felt small and unworthy under his scrutiny.

"I like your palace." She said weakly. His face broke into a smirk and she felt a flood of relief as he looked around the room, taking his gaze away from her.

"Yes. It is quite magnificent, isn't it?" His pride made the marble gleam and she had to bite back a laugh. It was almost comical.

"So what were you doing just now?" Rowan asked slyly. Cell chuckled.

"It's not important. It can wait."

"Oh?"

"Yes, I have something more important to occupy my mind right now." Cell stepped closer to Rowan, one hand gently cupping her chin as he leaned down, kissing her softly.

She could feel it, but it wasn't like a real touch. It was all imaginary. These bodies weren't real, they were just projections. Even her smell was just a projection, something that she had unconsciously carried with her into his mind, allowing him to detect her presence. But the 'wrongness' of the touch had tainted the passion of the kiss and it made Rowan frown as she pulled away.

Cells face fell into a frown.

"I guess nothing beats the real thing." Rowan said a little bitterly. She had seen the disappointment in Cell's face and knew he had the same thoughts as she did. Rowan sighed as Cell folded his arms across his chest.

"Are they treating you alright, on the lookout?" Cell asked after a long silence. Rowan smiled and nodded.

"Yeah. Piccolo is a real talker you know. Can't get him to shut up." She rolled her eyes, emphasising her sarcasm. Cell smirked.

"I could imagine."

"Dende fixed me up straight away, and there isn't even a scar, so don't worry. And I have everything I need. Mr Popo makes sure I don't go hungry." Cell chose not to respond, and just stared at Rowan. Despite everything, Rowan still felt small under such scrutiny and she couldn't hide the blush that reached her cheeks. She looked away and studied the array of books and little curios arranged neatly on a nearby book shelf. She almost smiled as she saw a small golden apple tree with a tiny red apple hanging from it.

"So how exactly are you inside my head?" Rowan slowly looked back up at Cell as his question snapped her out of reverie.

"Oh. Um… Well…" She hesitated a moment, felt her cheeks flush again. Cell's eyes narrowed a little in reaction. "Well basically, you and I kind of share a bond that we can use to sort of visit one another. Apparently it's a Tecktarian thing…"

"I see. So I can get inside your head?" Rowan frowned at Cell's question. She wasn't entirely sure she wanted him inside her head.

"I think so." She bit her bottom lip and looked away, feeling nervous under the suddenly cruel smirk on Cell's face.

"Will you show me?" Cell brought his face down close to hers. She could see his curiosity in his eyes, and a strange cruel desire. It made her truly apprehensive.

"Maybe later. You don't know the damage you could do if you go poking around in my head and I'm still learning about how everything works myself." Cell didn't hide his disappointment as he stood back up to his impressive height, but he nodded.

"Fair enough. What other little tricks did your uncle teach you?" Cell asked, almost bored.

"A lot actually, including how to sort of… maybe help with… Um… Your energy-gaining problem."

"My energy gaining problem?" Cell repeated with a wide grin spreading across his face. "I don't consider your gift to be a problem. But please, do continue. This is intriguing." Despite his arrogance and cruel grin as he spoke, Rowan couldn't help but appreciate his form as he unfolded an arm and gestured at her to elaborate.

"You know how Quill was absorbing your energy, and then shooting it back, right?" Rowan asked. Cell nodded slowly.

"Annoying little trick. I suppose you can do that too?" Rowan shrugged in reply.

"Don't know to be honest. I haven't tried. But the general idea behind that is that Tecktarians are like miniature energy wells. We can sort of vent any kind of energy. We can't store it, our bodies aren't really designed for that, but it can pass through us. Like, we can grab onto an electric wire, for example. The energy will flow into us, and when our well is full, we simply vent the power back out in a controlled direction. It's really hard to explain. But I know what Quill knows, so I know how to do it." Rowan trailed off, aware that she was confusing herself. It was hard to recall Quill's knowledge without it sounding strange in her own mind.

"I understand what you're saying. You can siphon off the excess power I would gain from you." Cell said with a frown. His eyes were strangely narrowed. Rowan shrugged and managed a weak smile.

"Kind of yeah, although you would need to let me take it. I can't drain it from you by force…" Rowan watched the shadows flash behind Cell's eyes. Her blood turned to ice, as the screen behind them flashed with thoughts, far too fast for her to follow. But she knew what he was thinking. If she couldn't take the energy from him, why would he give it to her?

"It's a trust thing, Cell." She said quietly. The screen went black again as he brought his thoughts back under his control. He looked at her, his expression masked.

"I won't deny that's not a tempting thing. But I have to ask, why you'd risk it. What benefit would it give you? Why not simply use protection again?" Cell raised a good point, and Rowan's cheeks burned. She bit her lip again and looked back at the little golden apple tree, buying herself time.

"It's hard to say. I'm worried you'd think me a fool." Her voice was quiet, and she couldn't look him in the eye. She felt his fingers gently pushing her hair behind her ear again, before he turned her face to look at him.

"I don't think you a fool, Rowan. I never have." His voice was sincere, and despite the surrealism, he still kissed her gently on the lips. It was comforting, even if it felt odd.

"I know things now, that I did not know before and I know what I need to do." She said quietly, looking up into his face as it hovered over hers.

"Should I be worried?" He asked, almost amused. She smiled and couldn't hide a laugh.

"No. It's just… The urges you have towards me, I share them too. I'm just as compelled as you are, because of the bond we share. I understand that now and I didn't before." It was incredibly hard, standing where she was, so close to Cell, and yet knowing that they couldn't really touch. She could easily see that he was feeling it too.

"And that means?" He asked after a while. His voice was slightly husked. She felt her belly tighten at the sound.

"It means… I belong to you. And I want to give myself to you, completely." The words had a physical effect on Cell. His mouth hardened and his eyes narrowed. He froze, motionless, staring intently at Rowan. She felt both relief at her admission, yet tiny, vulnerable and exposed.

Finally he moved, turning suddenly away from her and towards the screen.

"Cell?" She asked quietly. The screen burst back into life as Cell took control of his body again. He closed the lap top in front of him and headed towards the door of her house.

"I'm going to come and get you from the look out." He said quietly, with complete conviction. She watched from his point of view as he slipped his helmet back on and stepped outside.

"Wait! Don't do that!" Cell looked back at her. His face was intense and his eyes were narrowed and he wore a small frown. It stunned her into silence.

"Would you truly deny me, after what you've just said?" His voice was quiet and steady, but it couldn't hide the seething anger underneath.

"No, oh heavens no… It's just… Piccolo is watching. He would see you coming from a million miles away. And then what? We'd have no privacy and that would be frustrating for both of us." She could see that Cell was hovering in the air above the lake, while in his mind, he was staring intently at her.

"Do you have a better idea?" The seething anger had abated slightly, and he just sounded annoyed.

"I do actually." She grinned at him, and his face softened, only slightly.

"What are you planning?" He asked, curious.

"I need some time. Like a couple of hours maybe? Can you give me that, without doing anything stupid?" She asked. Cell's eyes narrowed but he gave her a small nod. She grinned, sighing relief. Before Cell could say anything else, she focused inwards, and she felt herself fall suddenly, as the world around her flashed from Cell's inner palace, to her own house.

\/\\*/\/

Rowan sat up suddenly in bed. She had made up her mind, and even though she knew she was being reckless and foolish and that she was literately risking everything on the assumption that Cell's honour was stronger than his lust for power. But despite that, she was giddy, excited and aroused at the thought.

She quickly threw her robes back over her body and stood in the centre of the room. She closed her eyes and focused. She knew how to do it. She had the knowledge. But applying it for the first time was difficult. She didn't want to risk such a huge jump on her first time, so she focused on the kitchen in the lookout.

"Tap your energy well." She told herself quietly. She felt the power surge into her body as she did just that. "Good, now focus on where you want to go. Try to picture it." She thought of the kitchen, of the dining table with the little wooden chairs, the huge expanse of cupboards and the large fridge. She could even smell the faint hint of herbs and spices for the exorbitant spice collection Mr Popo had amassed.

"Good. Stay focused on your location, drawing your power around you, like a tight blanket." She wasn't experienced with managing her energy, and it was difficult to completely encompass herself in her energy. She focused on one problem area, and it loosened another. It took several moments before she had engulfed her entire body with energy.

"Finally, picture your energy blanket in the location. Focus. It's all about focus." She could almost hear Quill's voice lecturing her as she concentrated.

"Oh my!" Mr Popo's startled voice caused Rowan's eyes flew open as the warmth of her energy blanket vanished, exposing her senses to the world again. She gave a small scream as she lost her balance and fell. She had teleported to the kitchen, but she had landed on the back of one of the chairs. Mr Popo was staring in wide-eyed horror as she fell, taking the table and several of the chairs down with her.

"Ow…" She groaned as she slowly sat up. The table had tipped over, spilling the empty plates and cutlery to the floor, but the chair she had been on top of, had collapsed into a splintery mass of wood.

"Are you okay, Rowan?" Mr Popo asked is his quiet, concerned voice. Rowan nodded and managed a smile.

"Sorry Mr Popo." He helped her back to her feet and her smile broadened as it sank in that she had successfully teleported. Mr Popo righted the table and headed down the hall to grab the broom. Rowan laughed to herself, as she concentrated again, feeling her energy draw around her. It was much easier the second time and she felt herself shift again.

This time she was outside, in the middle of the plaza. The wind was blowing gently, making the tall pine trees wave. Piccolo was standing on the edge, and he whirled around as she teleported again close by.

"Hi!" She exclaimed.

"Rowan! What are you…" He was cut off as she disappeared suddenly, reappearing on top of the domed entrance to the temple. He whirled around, following her energy.

"Phew, this is actually quite exhausting!" Rowan said with a laugh as she appeared next to Piccolo again. "Fun though!" Piccolo snarled down at her.

"So you've learned how to teleport." Her face fell as she became serious and she stood up straight.

"Yes. Look Piccolo, I know you don't like me much, and you think I'm going to doom the world. But I have a plan and I need you to trust me." She said quietly. Piccolo's snarl deepened, baring his large and pointed fangs.

"Don't you dare do what I think you're going to do!" His voice was malicious and full of warning. She smiled sadly up at him.

"I'm sorry Piccolo." Piccolo roared in anger and threw a sudden blast of energy at her. But she was gone and the blast exploded, cracking the white tiles and singing them black.

"Damnit!" He roared angrily.

It was pouring with rain and the sky was heavy and dark. Rowan sighed as she stared out of the balcony window, watching the storm shake the trees aggressively. It was strangely calming.

Finally she turned away from the glass and stared around the room. It was dark. The equipment that had been hooked up to her, monitoring her vital signs only a few days ago, was now pushed against the wall, lifeless and quiet. The bed was made and the room was meticulously clean. Rowan sighed, seeing herself lying in the bed, bloodied and beaten after she had been raped by the Other Cell, and then impaled. The memory of Seru's face as he was drained away, through her, chilled her.

She shook the dark thoughts away and sighed, releasing her tension. She headed to the door, and listened carefully. Slowly she opened the door a crack, and peeked out. It was quiet and empty.

Rowan snuck out the door and headed down the stairs. She paused, crouching low on the top step as she listening carefully. She could hear sounds coming from the downstairs basement and she gave a small smile as she thought of 16. She crept down the stairs quietly, thankful as the place was mostly empty.

She peeked down the basement stairs. She could just barely make out 16 on the chrome table, a small white sheet covering his lower half as his top half was completely exposed. She couldn't stop the small flush of colour. He might have been an android, but he had a good physique.

She could see Doctor Briefs sitting with his back to 16, typing away on the computer screens. The crib at the side of the room was empty and Bulma was nowhere to be seen.

As if to answer her thoughts, the phone rang. Doctor Briefs answered it, with Bulmas' face appearing on the screen. She was flying somewhere where it was sunny. Rowan couldn't catch the conversation, the volume was down low, but Bulma seemed angry and was demanding her father do something. With a reluctant sigh the phone call ended and Doctor Briefs stood up and stretched.

"Well 16, I can't keep deny she's right. Without those parts you aren't going to get finished before the tournament! I'd better go pick them up. I'll be back within the hour, so don't get too comfortable."

"Alright doctor." 16 answered in his monotone voice. Rowan panicked and teleported before Doctor Briefs walked up the stairs. He was humming to himself as he closed the door behind him. Rowan stared up after him, as 16 stared dumbfounded at her.

"You can teleport?" 16 asked with genuine surprise. She had teleported behind Doctor Briefs, a stupid idea, but she had been panicking. She smiled sheepishly down at 16.

"Hey big guy. Sorry to just barge in like this." 16's surprised was replaced with a small smile.

"I am glad you are unharmed. I was worried Cell might have hurt you when I saw you on the Television." Rowan sat herself in Doctor Briefs' chair.

"No, I'm alright. But… Well… I kind of need your advice." She said quietly. "You seem to understand Cell better than anyone, because you have the same programming."

"Similar programming, not the same." 16 corrected her. She shrugged.

"Well you were made by the same mad scientist." She trailed of, hesitant to continue. 16 offered her his hand as he had done before. He smiled up at her.

"Tell me what is bothering you."

"I know Cell is stupidly strong. Do the Z warriors have a chance of stopping him at the tournament, the day after tomorrow?" 16 frowned at this.

"I will be honest with you Rowan. If circumstances had been different and Neither of the original Cells had benefitted from your gift, his current power would not be so incredibly immense. Perhaps then, Goku's enhanced training could have stood against Cell. But as it is at this moment, I believe it is truly hopeless." Rowan stared down at 16's grim expression and she felt truly sad. She had known it already. She had seen how easily Cell had put Piccolo down in the City the other day, but to know that the Z warriors knew they stood no chance was quite confronting.

"Even though you know it's hopeless, you're still going to fight, aren't you?" 16 smiled sadly and nodded.

"We must fight, to protect the Earth. Even if we lose, we cannot simply give up. Life is precious. Cell does not appreciate the lives of others. He serves only himself." Rowan frowned.

"That's not entirely true." She felt the pang of guilt as she said the words. 16 frowned.

"He may care for you, but he does not view you as his equal. He never will. He is a sadist and he is a narcissist. Do not allow him to convince you that you mean more to him than he does. Because it is a lie. Something to manipulate you. Do you understand what I'm saying?" Rowan nodded numbly.

"I know. But I can't help myself, even though I know. But… I have a plan." Rowan sighed before she launched into her narrative. 16 listened attentively as Rowan told 16 about everything that had happened in the past week, starting with why she had run away from the Capsule Corp. 16 was not surprised that Cell had taunted her into action and pointed out how he had manipulated her into coming to him.

She continued, telling him about the army's attack and how Cell had dismissed her anger by telling her about the dragon balls.

"If Cell had not told you about the wish-granting dragon balls, would you have stayed with him?" 16 asked quietly. Rowan thought about it, remembering all those people who were fighting to save their world and who had been so utterly obliterated.

"No. I don't think I would have." She admitted. 16 nodded.

"He knows you better than you do. He knows how to calm your anger and you don't even realize that he has been controlling you this whole time." Rowan stared at the hole in 16's head. The inside was almost complete and she could see the blinking lights and replaced circuitry, but the blast mark around the artificial skin remained. A physical reminder of Cell's destructive nature.

"You don't think he's capable of changing, do you?" She asked quietly. 16 shook his head slowly.

"He is not. As long as he knows, with absolute certainty, that he is stronger, faster and smarter than everyone else, he will not change. Why should he?" 16 asked, watching Rowan's face intently.

"I guess you're right." She admitted after a while.

"What is your plan?" 16 asked. Rowan sighed and continued her story. She told him about how Cell had been so reluctant to help the man stuck in the car, but he had relented, and done as she had asked, removing the pole. She told him about the fight with Piccolo, how Cell could have easily killed him, but had stopped at her insistence. She told him about how Cell had even given her to Goku when she had been injured. This surprised 16.

"I am surprised by this. He may have helped the man and spared Piccolo's life in order to appease you, which could be chalked up to another form of manipulation, but to hand you over to Son Goku, is very surprising. I did not think he would willingly give you away. Not when he considers you to be his property. That goes against his controlling nature."

"I was kind of bleeding out." 16 frowned and the two sat in silence for a moment as he thought.

"That is unusual, but it does not change my over-all assessment that he will not stop the tournament or give up his dream of domination. Not even for you." Rowan nodded grimly.

"I appreciate your honesty at least." 16 nodded and gave her hand a small squeeze of assurance.

"Does this information alter your intended plan?" He asked quietly. Rowan smiled sadly.

"No. If anything, it makes me more determined that it's the best course of action."

"Will you tell me your plan?" 16 asked. Rowan stared down at his sincere face and finally, she nodded. She told 16 about Quill and how he had taught her about her ancestry and more importantly, how he had taught her about the bond she shared with Cell. She then told 16 about her plan. 16 frowned deeply.

"That is a very risky plan, Rowan." He said quietly as she finished. Rowan nodded.

"I know."

"So many things could become potential factors, and I do not trust Cell to make the right choice." Rowan nodded and stared down at their hands. Hers was so small compared to 16's.

"I know."

"But…" 16 paused for effect and slowly he smiled. "It is the best plan I think we have." Rowan looked up at his face, a little stunned.

"You think it'll work?" 16 frowned.

"Statistically no. But I have hope. And I trust you." Rowan grinned and managed a laugh. It was relieving beyond any measure that someone believed she wasn't an idiot.

"Thank you 16. Again." 16 smiled and watched as Rowan stood up and let his hand go.

"Wait. Open that drawer over there. The bottom one." 16 pointed to the opposite side of the room, where a bench, covered in piles of paper, supported 3 large chrome drawers. Rowan opened the bottom one, staring at a collection of books and some small boxes.

"If I am correct, there should be some metal boxes and some capsule containers. Take two of the metal boxes." Rowan picked them up and closed the drawer. She opened one of them up, staring at a pair of strange black bands, barely large enough to fit on her finger.

"What are these?" She asked.

"There should be two in each box. Place the bands on your fingers. One on each hand and they should mask your energy signature. Bulma was working on them earlier, utilizing certain elements of Geros' engineering. I do not think they will work on Cell if he powers up, but it should hide his neutral energy from detection without him having to focus on it." Rowan had slipped one of the sets onto her fingers. The bands were elastic and fit her fingers snuggly. She could see the electronics faintly wired through the thin material but they didn't feel any different.

"How do I know if they are working?" She asked. 16 laughed.

"They are working. Your energy signature has been neutralized. I cannot sense you at all." Rowan smiled.

"Awesome. Thanks 16!" 16 smiled at her as she tucked the other box into a pocket in her robe.

"Rowan…" Rowan looked at 16. He had become more serious again. "Do not trust Cell. I know that you feel strongly for him, but he is not a nice man. He will hurt you, maybe not even intentionally, but he will hurt you. It is who he is." Rowan nodded and frowned.

"I know. I have to hope that my old friend is still in there." 16 smiled sadly at her naivety.

"He does not deserve you." Rowan walked back over to 16 and leaned over his bare chest, hugging him tightly. He lifted one of his huge arms, patting her shoulder.

"Thank you 16. I'll see you at the tournament." 16 nodded and watched as she suddenly disappeared with a small rush of air.

"Goodbye, Rowan."

 **A/N: Mental palaces are a legitimate mental-exercise thing. Some people picture their inner minds as a place and they store information and mark it in a variety of ways. This helps them to recollect information and memories at a later date. I first learned about this by reading** _ **Thomas Harris's Hannibal**_ **series. There are several other examples. Although I fear I may have described it poorly.**

 **Having a mind described as a place is what original inspired this whole story. That and Cell.**

 **Again, so sorry for not updating sooner. Next chapter should be up quite quickly! Thank you for taking the time to read this story, and I hope you are enjoying it. Over nine thousand humble apologies if you're not.**

 **Any feedback is appreciated.**


	9. IX

Android 16 had given Rowan a lot to think about. She wasn't a fool, she knew Cell's nature was much more sinister than Serus' had been, but she couldn't help but think that there was real good in him as well. He had Seru in him. Rowan's eyes widened in sudden realization.

 _Seru was_ _ **in**_ _him_.

Suddenly giddy with excitement, Rowan pulled her energy blanket around her body and thought of her home in the Caravan Park, where Cell was waiting for her. She felt the air around her change and the laboratory basements' soft green lighting was replaced with the brilliant light of the afternoon sun.

Rowan had barely a second to adjust before her energy dispersed and the chilled air struck her, and she realized there was no ground beneath her feet. She managed a strangled yelp, barely able to register that she was over the lake, before she was dropped into the icy cold water.

The sudden shock of cold sucked the air from her lungs and stunned her momentarily as her robe billowed out around her, trapping her limbs like a net. Her lungs burned, forcing Rowan to finally regain her composure and she kicked out, her arms flailing, forcing her robe down while she made for the surface.

Her head broke the waters' surface and she took in precious air, panting heavily from the unexpected exertion. She floated for a moment, allowing herself to get her bearings. She was quite far out in the lake, several hundred feet from the pebbled shore. She could see the tree line that separated the caravan park from the lakes edge, but it was quite far up the beach. At least she knew which side of the lake to head towards.

She sighed and lay back, floating while she looked up at the sky. There were heavy storm clouds heading towards her over the mountains, but the sky directly over her was still sunny and the light was warm. Rowan wondered why her teleport hadn't worked.

"Probably because I was distracted when I teleported." She thought out loud. "Last time I saw my house was through Cells' eyes, and he had taken off, hovering over the lake… Guess that makes sense." She sighed again and closed her eyes, relaxing for a moment. The water was cold but it was refreshing and she knew she was procrastinating. As much as she wanted to see Cell again, she was also apprehensive. She knew what she had to do, but so much was at risk.

"Why couldn't I just have a normal boyfriend?" She asked nobody, before she finally began to move, treading water as she focused back on the beach.

It was much easier to teleport to somewhere she could physically see, and she disappeared from the water, and reappeared on the pebbled beach almost instantly. Her robes slapped down around her, dribbling lake water all over the smooth pebbles.

Rowan sighed and fumbled in the pocket for the spare box of rings. She opened it checking the contents, but they looked undamaged. She checked the bands on her own fingers, but without any lights or indicators, she had no way of knowing if they still worked.

She looked up at her house. She could just barely see its domed form through the trees. It looked so peaceful and quiet. It was hard to imagine that the tyrant responsible for all the chaos and death that was sweeping around the globe was inside the tiny domed house only about a hundred feet from where she stood.

A light breeze wafted across the lake, causing the reflective surface to ripple. A moment later and the breeze struck the trees, causing their leaves to tremble and 'shush'. Rowan shivered as the cool air bit right through her soaked clothes and into her skin.

"I think a hot shower would be fantastic." She mumbled to herself as she picked her way across the pebbled beach towards the tree line.

It was only a short walk, but by the time she had reached the gravel that made up the camp grounds of the caravan park, Rowan was thoroughly chilled. The gravel crunched under her feet, announcing her approach well before she made it to the house. She was half expecting Cell to open the door from the noise, but it remained closed as she reached it.

She opened the door and peered inside. Her house was cleaner than she had left it. The only thing that was out of place was her laptop on the kitchen bench, plugged into a wall socket, opened and on. Cell was nowhere to be seen. She frowned, feeling the disappointment of finding him absent, but she brushed it aside with a small sigh.

She stripped off her wet robes, dumping them in a pile on the floor and she headed over to the computer. She put the small box on the bench, but paused when she saw the computer screen. It was the screen saver, a small photo that bounced around on a black screen.

The photo was of her and larval form Seru, a selfie she had taken with him on the couch. She hadn't seen the picture in a while and it made the spidery scar in her chest, ache. She stared at the screen for a long time, overwhelmed with memories that flooded her of her old friend. She touched the screen gently, as if she could touch him, but the movement made the screen saver disappear and instead she was greeted by a black screen full of numbers and text. It was some kind of program and it was scrolling along on its own. Rowan tried to read it but she couldn't make heads or tails of it.

She was snapped from her study by a reflection of movement in the black of the screen. Her eyes focused on his face, only a few feet behind her. For such a big man, he could move in absolute silence. She could only guess that he had been hiding in the bedroom when he had heard someone approach, since he couldn't sense her energy. He was wearing a strangely solemn expression, and he looked back at her through the reflection. His hair hung in his face again, partially hiding his left eye, which made him seem mysterious.

"You're wet." He finally said, his voice was quiet and husked and his expression was still solemn. Rowan managed a weak smile. Something about the look of his face was unsettling her.

"I missed my teleport and landed in the lake." She replied, sheepishly. A small smirk appeared on his lips.

"At least you can teleport. Albeit, poorly." He added, quietly. Rowan couldn't help but love the way one of his eyes narrowed as his smirk widened, showing his all-too perfect teeth. Finally she turned away from the laptop screen to look at him properly. He was watching her every moment, as if expecting her to do something. She couldn't help but feel her face heat under such an intense stare. Finally she stepped towards him, making the first move. He welcomed her into his embrace as she planted her hands against his shelled chest and leaned up, kissing him softly. His arms snaked around her back, pressing her against him.

"I missed you." She said quietly as she stepped back down, looking up at him. She could see his nostrils flare as he slowly took in her smell, making his eyes narrow in response. He smiled down at her, still holding her close. The last time the two had been physically in each other's' company, had been when they had been in Central City, and she had been impaled by the shard of glass from the force of Cell's attack against Piccolo.

As if thinking about the same thing, he moved one of his hands gently down her side, brushing against the barely-visible mark where the glass had struck her. His hand lingered as she put her own hand on top of his.

"It's fine Cell. Dande healed me up, like Goku promised." Cell sighed nasally in response, turning his eyes back to hers. She was consciously aware of the pull she felt towards him, but being aware of it, didn't stop the intensity of the feeling. He lifted his free hand to her face, gently stroking the back of his fingers against her cheek, before he pulled her head back into a deeper kiss, one she welcomed happily, as she snaked her arms around his neck.

Their kiss was broken suddenly as Cell jerked back, a scowl marring his perfect features.

"What is it?" Rowan asked as he let her go. She heard the sound of footsteps on the gravel outside as Cell headed for the door. He paused with his hand on the door knob and he looked back at Rowan with a frown.

"I know I saw someone walking around here only a minute ago…" She could hear a young mans' voice whispering.

"Yeah I know. I wonder if they're friendly. Here's hoping they can help us out." Another man's voice, this one was more gruff.

"I guess. You reckon they have any food?" The first man asked.

"Let's find out." Rowan bit her lip as she looked down. She was still wearing her wet underwear, her robes having been thrown in the pile on the floor. She glanced up at Cell. He was snarling at the door.

"Don't do anything stupid, Cell." She whispered quietly as she hurried into the bedroom. She was halfway through slipping on a pair of dark jeans when she heard the knock at the front door.

"Hello, anyone home?!" She heard the gruff man call out.

"Just a sec!" She called back loudly as she threw on a long sleeved woollen turtle neck.

Cell was standing in the bedroom doorway, a very unpleasant expression on his face.

"I could make them go away." He suggested. "I wouldn't even have to hurt them." Rowan shook her head and she quickly leaned up on her tip toes to kiss the bridge of his nose.

"Just let me deal with them." She replied quietly before she ducked under his arm and back into the main room. She hesitated at the front door, looking back at Cell. He looked back at her, clearly annoyed before he turned away and closed the bedroom door.

Rowan opened the front door with a smile. There were two men; one was young, tall with messy brown hair and a pair of small glasses. He carried a large camera and a shoulder bag. The older man was short and stout with salt and pepper hair and a few days' worth of stubble.

"Hi fellas, what can I do you for?" She asked in a friendly tone. The younger man gave her an awkward smile.

"Hey, I'm Christoph and this is Jack. Sorry to barge in on you like this, but our phone isn't working and our vans' broken down up on the main road. Have you got a working phone?" He asked. Rowan considered everything for a moment as her friendly and hospitable nature warred with the need to get them away from Cell.

Her nice nature won out.

"Uh, sure, come on in. The phone is in the kitchen, and my name is Rowan." She stepped back and gestured for the two to come inside. Rowan closed the door behind them and led Christoph to the kitchen bench, where she gestured to the small plastic phone receiver nestled in the cradle on the wall.

"Thanks Rowan. Do you mind if I make some calls?" Rowan smiled and shook her head.

"Go ahead. Would you like some tea?" Christoph nodded as he picked up the phone and punched in some numbers. Jack sat himself on the couch and looked around.

Rowan saw Cells' helmet sitting on the small table next to the front door and she felt her heart skip a beat. But Jack had his back to the table, so he wouldn't see it unless he turned around, and Christoph was distracted with the phone as he put his giant camera on the bench next to Rowan's laptop which had returned to the screen saver.

Rowan casually closed the lap top lid and slid it against the wall, hiding the photo of larval form Cell as she set about boiling the kettle. Jack watched her and yawned.

"I'm surprised there's anybody still around this area." He said conversationally. Rowan shrugged.

"I'm out of the way here. I'm pretty sure I'll be safe. What about you two?" Rowan set out three mugs, feeling her wet hair sticking to her face. She brushed it aside casually, but she could still feel the chill of the cold water on her skin. She longed for a hot shower.

"We were hoping to get some pictures of Cell for the newscast, but our van broke down just outside of Paprika town. Pretty lucky to find you, we tried some other houses but they are all shut up or their phones aren't working." Jack was making himself comfortable, watching Rowan like a dog eyeing off a piece of meat that had fallen to the floor. It was making her uncomfortable, but she ignored it as she poured the tea.

Christoph was having a quiet but animated conversation on the phone. He was facing the wall with his head lowered as his free hand gestured wildly. Rowan avoided listening, but she got the gist of him telling someone about their breakdown and the like.

She offered him a mug of tea and he took it gratefully, mouthing out the words 'Thank you' before resuming his conversation. Rowan offered another mug to Jack and he mumbled his thanks too. Rowan glanced at the closed bedroom door. She could almost see Cell on the other side, arms folded, glaring at her.

"That's absurd!" Christoph's' sudden yell caused Rowan and Jack to both turn abruptly to face him. "You can't honestly expect us to stay out here until after the stupid tournament? That's suicide!" Jack snorted.

"I was afraid of that." Jack mumbled.

"No, it's just unacceptable. You have to get us out of here! What?! You want us to do what?! Are you mad?! You know what, go to hell!" Christoph slammed the phone back in the receiver and put his hands against his temples before he finally turned back to Jack.

"They aren't going to send us any help because were too close to Cells' arena. They won't risk it. Marcus wants us to stay out here and film the tournament since we can't get out of here." Jack stood up suddenly, angry and red faced.

"What?! Does Marcus not know what that Cell thing is capable of? Didn't he hear about what he did to the god-damned army?! We'll get killed for sure!" Rowan looked down at the mug in her hand. She was feeling even more uncomfortable. She could only stand there as the two argued it out.

"Look, lady, I'm so sorry to ask this of you, but can we crash here until after the tournament?" Jack asked crudely. Rowan felt the alarm bells ringing in her mind.

"I uh… I only have the one bed, I don't really have anywhere for you to stay…" She managed.

"That's okay, we can sleep in the van. We just don't have access to a toilet or shower or food and the like." Christoph was genuinely nice and she felt bad, but she couldn't forget about Cell.

"Um, can I have a minute to think about it?" She asked. Christoph nodded and Rowan excused herself as she headed to the bedroom door.

She opened it just enough to slip inside before she closed it abruptly behind her. Cells' face was livid. He planted his hands on either side of her face, trapping her against the door and he brought his face close to hers.

"You can't seriously be considering it." He snarled, his voice was barely audible, but his message was loud and clear.

"What else can I do? They need help." She whispered back. Cell's eyes narrowed.

"I give you a lot of concessions Rowan, but I won't allow you to keep two strangers in our house." Cell declared. Rowan felt her anger swell at his words, and she had to fight to keep her voice down.

"Our house? Pretty sure it's _mine._ I can do as I damn well want to." Cell's mouth pulled into a scowl.

"I lived here for four years. It's as much my home as it is yours." Rowan's hands balled into fists and she could feel herself trembling with anger.

"Damnit Cell!" She wanted so much to argue the point, but she fought to control herself, to keep her voice level and quiet, now was not the time. Something crossed Cell's eyes and his scowl turned into a smirk. Rowan snarled up at him as he brought his face even closer.

"What?" She demanded quietly. He chuckled in response.

"I do love it when you fight me." He said quietly. His sudden kiss caught Rowan off guard. It was hungry and full of lust. She turned her head away, breaking it, but she couldn't hide the blush of colour to her cheeks.

"Now really isn't the time for that." She muttered angrily. His smirk turned into a sadistic grin.

"To be continued, then." He said as he pushed away from the door, giving Rowan back her freedom.

"I'm going to let them stay. I'll tell them to go get their van and bring it here. That'll give you a chance to leave without them ever knowing. They'll stay in their van, but they can use my shower and bathroom." She said quietly. Cell sighed nasally. He wanted to fight but he kept his silence and just turned his back on her instead.

"Do as you want." He said flatly. Rowan wanted to reach out to him, but she decided she could do it after the two had left.

Rowan quietly slid out of the bedroom, closing the door behind her, and she froze. Jack was holding Cell's helmet, inspecting it carefully. Christoph was standing next to him, looking amazed.

"That's a pretty awesome replica." Christoph said conversationally as he noticed Rowan. Jack looked over at her, his expression was hard.

"Oh, yeah. It's pretty awesome." She said quietly.

"Yeah. Awesome." Jack added in a tone that was anything but impressed. Christoph took it out of Jack's hands and inspected it closely before he put it back on the small table.

"So, what did you decide?" Christoph asked.

"Oh, Um… I think you guys should go and get your van. You can bring it to the caravan park and you're welcome to use my amenities." Christoph broke into a broad smile. "I don't have a lot of food though, but we can deal with that later."

"That's fantastic! Thank you!" Christoph exclaimed. Jack just nodded; his expression was still dark as he stared intently at Rowan.

"You should probably hurry up though. It will be night soon." Rowan said a little pointedly. Christoph nodded and he opened the front door, stepping out. Jack let his stare linger on Rowan for a moment, before he followed after Christoph, closing the door behind him.

Rowan let out the breath she didn't realize she had been holding. A moment later and Cell's arms snaked around her waist. His face lowered to her neck and she leaned back against him, letting him nibble on her tender flesh as one of her hands lifted to his head, playing with his hair.

"I was toying with the idea of scaring them off myself." He said quietly against her neck. Rowan couldn't stop herself from laughing.

"I was honestly a little surprised you didn't. Grateful, mind you. But also surprised." He chuckled as he moved his attention to her ear lobe. She couldn't stop herself from moaning softly at the electric touch. His arms only tightened around her in response.

He was distracted in a moment of weakness, with his focus on Rowan, and he didn't notice them return until they opened the door suddenly.

"Sorry, I forgot my cam…." Christoph stopped mid-sentence with his hand on the door handle, wide-eyed in absolute shock. Jack appeared a moment later, his face contorted between anger and fear.

It must have been quite a sight, to see Cell in such an intimate pose with someone, his hair hanging around his face, his eyes narrowed and glaring death at the two intruders.

The moment seemed to last an eternity before Cell finally stood up, releasing Rowan and he turned and headed back for the bedroom, closing the door. Rowan watched him go, aware that her face had turned a delightful shade of red. She couldn't look at the two men.

"I thought you looked familiar. You are the girl from the TV." Jack finally said quietly. Rowan lowered her face down and looked at them from the corner of her eyes. Jack had settled on furious. Christoph was terrified, unmoving.

"I guess." She managed quietly.

"You traitorous whore." Jack spat angrily. Rowan felt Cell's energy spike in response, but he didn't burst through the door. Jack followed Rowans gaze to the closed door and he quickly stepped outside, turning his back on Rowan and making a quick retreat.

Christoph hadn't moved. He was trembling, wide-eyed at Rowan. She sighed and headed to the kitchen bench, grabbing his camera and turning back towards Christoph. He looked at her like he would at a rabid dog, flinching as she offered him his camera back.

"I am sorry." She said quietly when he made no move to take his camera. "He won't come after you or anything like that. He won't hurt you."

After a long pause, Christoph finally grabbed his camera, snatching it from her hands and cradling it against his chest before he turned and fled. Rowan sighed loudly, feeling both angry and ashamed as she stared out at the lake.

Cell emerged after several moments. He stood behind her, but made no move to touch her this time.

"I am sorely tempted to kill that man after what he called you." Cell said bitterly after a while.

"Why? He's not wrong. I am a traitor." Rowan said flatly, turning back inside and heading towards the kitchen. She went through the motions of making tea, even though she didn't feel like drinking one.

Cell grabbed her wrists, forcing her to turn to face him. She had tears pricking the sides of her eyes again and it made his eyes narrow.

"Everything you have ever done has been for other people." Cell began angrily. "You sacrificed yourself to save Mary and her family. You sacrificed yourself to Seru in order to give me… Him the power needed to stave off Cell. You stopped me from killing that attendant at the gas station and you even convinced me to aid that human trapped in the car in Central City which was an action that was against everything that I am. Exactly how are these actions those of a traitor? If anything you have made more of an impact towards sparing humanity than anyone else on this god-forsaken rock. Because of you and you alone, I no longer have the drive to commit mass genocide."

Cell's anger was flaring as he spoke, and Rowan's eyes widened in surprise as he confessed just how much of an impact she was having on him. His eyes were livid and flashed a brilliant hue of magenta. His words had softened her self-hatred but she finally looked away and closed her eyes, fighting back tears.

"But nothing I say or do will stop you from fighting at the tournament. If you win, you'll conquer the Earth." Cell finally let her wrists go, and he very gently tilted her head back to his. She opened her eyes slowly, staring at the strange expression on his pale face.

"I will fight at the tournament, Rowan. And there is no 'if'. I _**will**_ win. What happens to the Earth after that is still unknown. Every day I spend with you, admittedly, softens my resolve." His face softened as he spoke and his voice was quiet. Gently he tucked some of her wet hair behind her ear, a comforting and gentle gesture. Rowan sighed softly and managed a small smile. Inside, her mind was a train wreck and her chest ached dully, but despite how much turmoil raged inside her, she felt comforted by his gentle touch.

A sudden sneeze forced her to turn away abruptly. She sniffled after the fact and turned away from Cell, grabbing a sheet of paper towel from the roll that hung on the kitchen wall and she blew her nose.

"I need a hot shower." She mumbled as she discarded the make-shift tissue in the bin. Cell stepped to the side, allowing her to walk past him, a small frown graced his face. He watched as she pulled off her shirt as she walked into the bedroom, disappearing behind the door.

Rowan slipped off her wet clothes; aware of the chill she felt and blissfully stepped into the hot water. Steam poured out of the shower cubicle and quickly filled the room, heating the air. She was aware of Cell as he leaned against the wall outside the shower, watching her through the rippled glass with a small smirk.

"Perv." She said playfully as she pulled back the curtain a fraction and flicked some water at him. His smirk spread across his face but he didn't move. After a moment he turned his attention to the small box he had brought with him, and removed one of the small rings, examining it closely.

"Bulmas' handiwork, I assume." He said conversationally. Rowan held out one of her hands, wiggling her fingers to show off the black band she held on her index finger.

"16 gave them to me. They hide your energy signatures from detection." Cells' eyes narrowed for a moment and he stared, unamused at Rowan.

"You were with 16?" He asked flatly. Rowan poked her shampoo-lathered head out of the curtain, staring at Cell.

"Yes. He's my friend. He was someone to talk to when I was at the Capsule Corp recovering from your attack. I wanted to ask his advice so I went back when I was learning to teleport this afternoon." Cell's frown turned into a scowl.

"And what was his advice?" He snarled.

"Basically, that you're a sadistic narcissist and I shouldn't trust anything you say." Her tone was conversational, but she was watching his face carefully. Cell's eyes narrowed and she could see his annoyance, clear as day.

"I should kill him for that." Rowan managed a small smile.

"Kill him for telling me the truth?" She almost laughed as she spoke, but she didn't take her eyes off Cell. He went from angry to annoyed.

"I am not a narcissist." He said almost pouting.

"If you look up the word Narcissist in the dictionary, I bet a picture of your face will be next to the word. You are the definition of a narcissist. You believe yourself to be superior to everyone in every way. You even say that you're perfect." Cell's eyes narrowed at Rowan and he glared at her for a long while. Finally Rowan ducked her head back inside the shower and resumed washing the shampoo out.

"I believe I am superior to everyone in every way, because I am. I was built to be the strongest and the fastest. I have the collective knowledge of the greatest warriors in the universe, and I have the intellect to learn quickly. I can adapt to almost any situation and…" He was cut off as Rowan flicked more water at him.

"I get it, you are amazing and you are the ultimate in genetic engineering, although you are just proving your narcissism. But Cell you have to understand, you aren't perfect and there will always be room for improvement." She was being conversational, and with her head under the water, she didn't see the rage that was emanating from Cells' face.

"In what way, am I lacking, exactly?" He said quietly through gritted teeth.

"Pride." She replied casually. "A good example is that right now, you can't even take a small criticism. Your pride in who you are and what you are capable of makes you over confident, blinding you to possibilities that might present themselves. That and you will never see me as your partner, because I can never be your equal." Cells' eyes widened at her comment and he stared at her through the glass, his mouth partially opened as he realized the truth in her words.

Rowan finished the rest of her shower in silence and stepped out, naked and soaking. Cell had slipped the two rings on to his index fingers. He was still staring at her with a strange expression, one she hadn't seen on his face before. Rowan couldn't help herself and she crossed the small distance, standing up on her tiptoes and gently kissing the tip of his straight nose.

It snapped him from his thoughts and his arms snaked around her, pulling her against his body as he stared down at her. Finally, his face broke into a grin and his eyes softened as he leaned down, kissing her softly.

It was a peaceful moment, but Rowan broke it, turning away and easing out of Cells' embrace to grab the towel from the rack and wrap it around her body as she headed out of the bathroom.

"I could really use a hot cup of tea." Rowan said as she rummaged through her closet for some fresh clothes. Cell smirked at her and left her to dry and dress herself as he headed to the kitchen.

By the time Rowan emerged dressed in her favourite bumble bee pyjamas, combing her hair, Cell had made fresh tea.

He offered her the mug and she took it with her free hand, giving up on combing her hair for the moment. Cell took the comb from her hand as she sipped the tea. She was surprised as he moved behind her and began to comb her hair. He was surprisingly gentle and she barely felt the tug as he worked the knots from the ends.

Standing in the living room, sipping a perfect cup of tea while Cell worked on her hair, was a surprisingly comforting thing. She closed her eyes, turning inwards for just a moment as she treasured this memory, placing the comb that symbolized it on the shelf next to the apple and a few other small knick-knacks that represented precious moments.

Rowan opened her eyes as Cell finished, running his fingers through the length of her hair gently toying with it.

"I never thought I'd take such pleasure in such a simple act." Cell mused out loud. Rowan turned around to face him, her hair sliding through his fingers as she turned. She smiled up at him, all too aware of his proximity and the hungry look in his eyes.

"I wonder what other things you are missing out on without even realizing it." She asked him quietly. He took a deep breath, sighing nasally.

"I'm beginning to wonder that myself." His hand lifted to her face, gently stroking her cheek with his thumb. His touch was warm and Rowan leaned into it.

It was growing dark inside as the afternoon turned into evening. The storm Rowan had seen earlier was beginning to make its presence known as the wind picked up outside. She could hear the wind through the trees, making them howl in protest. Distant thunder heralded the arrival of the rain as it began to fall outside. Slow at first, but picking up momentum. Rowan sighed and turned away from Cell, heading to the lights and switching them on. She was very aware of Cells gaze as she moved. She could feel the pull between them, all the stronger because of their prolonged proximity.

"Did you mean what you said earlier?" Cell asked quietly. He was still standing where she had left him in the middle of the room. Rowan headed to the kitchen to rinse out her tea mug.

"You will have to a little more specific, Cell." She replied. Cell smirked at her as she glanced over her shoulder.

"I believe it was along the lines of _you belong to me._ " Cell's voice went quiet and husked as he spoke the last four words. Rowan felt her face flush at the way her body responded to his sultry tone. She looked back down at the sink, aware of her own arousal.

"I do belong to you. There is little point in denying that." She tried to sound conversational, but the truth of her words added an edge to them. She didn't hear Cell approach. He was being silent again, but she felt his arms encircle her and the heat of his body as he held her against him tightly. She moaned again, forgetting the dishes as he went straight for her neck, nibbling it hungrily.

"If we do this here and now, you'll destroy my house." She said quietly, trying to be the voice of reason.

"Don't deny me Rowan. I've waited long enough." He said quietly, but with a firmness that brokered no argument. Rowan couldn't resist him when he was being so commanding. She gave in to him as one of his hand slipped under her pyjama shirt, finding her firm breast. His gentle nibbling turned into a hungrier bite. Not enough to break the flesh, but enough to send a strange jolt through her body, something that surprisingly aroused her greatly.

He could smell her as he breathed in her intoxicating scent, felt himself harden in reaction, his armour, like a second skin to him, suddenly seeming too small and uncomfortable. His fingers teased her nipple, turning it hard in his hand, and he toyed with it. His other hand slipped beneath her pants, finding her body to be all too welcoming to his touch which only added to his own arousal.

She moaned loudly, lifting one hand to his face as he bit her again. It was amazing how well he knew her body and how easily he could make her respond to his touch.

The rain outside was getting heavier, and the wind was making the leaves of the trees sound like the ocean waves as it howled through their branches. But despite the sounds of the storm, they didn't mask the crunching approach of several feet on the gravel outside.

"You have got to be kidding me." Cell muttered angrily as his eyes opened slowly. Rowan groaned, just as annoyed as he was. It took every bit of control Cell possessed to let Rowan go. He slipped his moistened fingers into his mouth, not able to savour the taste before he turned to the door. He grabbed his helmet, quickly sliding it back over his head.

Rowan listened, aware that her face was flushed. Cell wasn't just angry, he was absolutely livid, something she could see in the tension of his body, but he hid it well behind a cold mask.

"Don't kill them." She whispered, her voice hoarse. He glanced at her, pausing for only a moment.

She could hear more than just two sets of feet. There were a dozen people outside, moving around. They were trying to be sneaky and if she hadn't been listening for them, she probably wouldn't have noticed them over the sound of the rain. They were surrounding the house. She could hear voices, quiet and muffled, but she had no chance of catching what they were saying.

Cell however, heard every word. His eyes widened suddenly and he turned back to Rowan, his speed was amazing as he seemed to disappear and reappear, throwing her to the ground as the thunder roared.

Only it wasn't thunder.

The idiots had found people from the arena who had been planning some form of revenge or another and they had brought weapons. Lots of them. Guns, grenades and even rockets, of which they all levelled at the house.

Rowan screamed and covered her head as she lay face down on the floor. She was aware of Cells' energy flaring around them, protecting them from harm. She could only watch in horror as her house was obliterated. She managed to look up at Cell, saw only absolute fury on his face. He was going to do something stupid.

Her house collapsed in, the debris that touched Cell's shield was obliterated instantly. His glowing golden aura was bright enough to illuminate the dozen or so people that surrounded their house. Rowan saw Jack sporting a rocket launcher. He was soaked and he had a grimace on his face as he realized the attack had done nothing to the android.

"FOOLS!" Cell roared. Rowan knew he was going to kill them all. She could see their faces turn from anger to fear in that second. She didn't think about it, she just grabbed his ankle, throwing her energy around them as quickly as she could. It took a heartbeat and Cell's energy blasted out of him as she teleported.

It took a moment for Rowan to adjust. The landing had been rough since she was still lying on the ground. She had gone from smooth tiled surface to rocks and leaves. The sound of falling debris and dust made her look around.

Cell looked shocked as she glanced up at him. His energy blast had created a monstrous crater that had sent up dirt and dust, but it couldn't do much damage here.

Rowan slowly stood up and dusted herself off. She was a little bruised from teleporting onto rocks, but that was negligible.

"You…" Cell couldn't finish. His surprise at being teleported hadn't abated his furious anger. Rowan locked eyes with him and didn't back down. His aura still burned golden around him.

"You were going to kill them." She said simply, her voice small against such a torrent of rage. His aura burned brighter and it was starting to hurt her. Rowan flinched and she held her hand out towards the energy.

The aura that surrounded Cell flared except for the part that was aimed at Rowan. That part disappeared as Rowan absorbed it. This action seemed to calm Cell down enough to regain his composure and he took a deep breath as his energy disappeared. Rowan looked troubled as she struggled with his power. It was the first time she had really absorbed energy and the feeling was strange. It was like drinking a really hot cup of tea too fast, it settled inside of her uncomfortably hot and foreign.

Quills knowledge kicked in and she forced the energy out, feeling her body surge it out of her core and into her arm as she raised it over her head. A small but brilliant ball of golden power shot out of her hand into the night sky.

She watched it disappear for a moment before she too sighed and lowered her arm. Cell watched her. He had gone from furious to just annoyed, regaining control of his temper. Slowly he folded his arms across his chest and he looked around, really looked around.

For miles in every direction there was nothing but levelled ground. Suddenly, with an impact that felt like a slap to the face, he realized where they were.

"This is where I merged." He said quietly.

"This is where Cell raped and then impaled me and killed Seru. Yes." She said quietly as she looked around. "It was the only place I could think to bring you where you wouldn't be able to hurt anyone." Her eyes were sad as she looked around. She could see the monstrous crater a few hundred feet to the side where Other Cell had original raped her and his power had flared out, destroying the landscape around him.

Cells' eyes followed her and they hardened, turning cold. Both of them were remembering what had happened. He could see what she couldn't in the darkness. Scraps of cloth that had been scattered by the elements, but he remembered for the briefest flash, as his claws had slashed at Rowan, tearing the clothes from her body, how she had fought back, and he had struck her hard in the face.

Cell pushed the memories of the Other Cell from his mind. The sadistic pleasure that Other Cell had taken in his actions only sickened Cell now as he looked back at Rowan. Her face was smooth and there was no sign of what he had done. But he couldn't stop himself from reaching out for her face, touching her cheek.

"I am sorry." He said quietly. She looked at him with sadness, but she smiled.

"I never thought I'd actually hear you say that. Thank you." She said with genuine appreciation. She stepped into his embrace then as he held her for a moment, both just standing in silence in the desolate wasteland that aptly reflected their mood.

"So, I guess I'm homeless." She said quietly as the realization struck her. Everything she had owned was lost in her house. But as she stood in Cell's embrace, and she thought that the day after tomorrow, the world would change forever, losing her house now wasn't the worst thing in the world.

Cell sighed heavily.

"I should have sensed them approaching. I could have stopped them before they destroyed our home." Cell spoke angrily. Rowan looked up at his hard expression.

"It's okay. It's not the end of the world. That's not for another day at least. Besides, I have you and we are both unhurt, and that's the important part. Stuff is just stuff." She tried to sound playful and it worked as Cells' face softened slightly.

"We should at least find somewhere warm and dry for you to rest." He said after a moment. Rowan grinned and closed the distance between them, leaning up and giving him a quick kiss on the nose.

"I want to see if there's anything left to salvage." She said quietly. Cell's face fell into concern again.

"That's not a good idea." Rowan grinned mischievously.

"You can't really stop me." She said playfully. Cell's face turned sadistically cruel as he broke into a wide smirk. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, as his eyes narrowed in anticipation.

"Is that a challenge?" He almost purred as he spoke. Rowan flared her energy around them both as she kissed his nose again.

"It is." She said quietly. They disappeared again in a small billow of dust as their air rushed to occupy the space they had left behind.

They re-appeared next to the manmade lake in the wheat field not far from Cells' arena. He was still holding her tightly, grinning at her, but something crossed across his eyes.

"You must teach me how you do that." He said quietly. Rowan grinned up at him. Cells' eyes looked around and he frowned. She followed his gaze.

There were tents and small domed capsule homes set up along the ridge a few hundred feet from where they were standing. Rowan quickly slid out of Cells arms feeling her face flush. She could see people on the very edge of the cliff, looking down towards the arena. There was even a small campfire roaring.

It was completely dark though, and the rain had eased up to a light sprinkle, but it was still dreary and cold. Where they stood, they were out of sight of the people and nobody had noticed them appear.

"Kind of glad teleporting doesn't create a light show." Rowan said quietly. Cell grunted in reply. His face had turned stony as he stared at the people gathered on the edge.

"Cell, what are you thinking?" She asked quietly as he suddenly began to walk towards them. He stopped after a few feet and looked back at her, slowly grinning.

"I don't believe I am a narcissist, Rowan. But I won't deny being a sadist." Rowan tried to object but Cell moved too fast, disappearing and reappearing near the tents. She had seen the rush of the wheat as it bowed under his speed. He wasn't teleporting, he was just that fast.

The people hadn't noticed yet. They had their backs to Cell. Rowan was tempted to teleport him out of there, but before she could act, someone screamed.

It was a woman who had begun to slip out of one of the tents. She had seen Cell walking past. He approached the fire and everyone had turned to see him now. Rowan couldn't deny how imposing he was in the fire light, easily taller than everyone else by at least a head, with his incredibly broad back and long shelled wings and powerful physique. He was someone to fear.

"Good evening." He said conversationally. Everyone was on their feet. Some people had run, others were frozen in fear, open mouths in silent screams. One of the more composed men had grabbed a camera and dared to take a flash photo of Cell. Cell only smirked. He was taking in all their fear, relishing the attention.

"Cell, you bastard! You killed my sister!" Someone behind Cell roared, pulling a hand gun from his back pocket and emptying the magazine quickly. It sounded like rapid thunder, and Rowan flinched. Cell was completely unfazed. He turned slowly to face the man, malice painted on his face.

"Perhaps you'd like to join her?" He asked in a smug and musical tone. Rowan felt her stomach tighten. The man threw the gun in the wheat field. He was terrified, but his anger was greater and he lunged at Cell, screaming hysterically as he tried to punch the tyrannical android.

Cell took his punch to the face without moving. It had impacted with a sickening crunch and the man stepped back, howling in pain as he cradled his now broken hand.

"How unfortunate. You've broken your hand." Cell said tauntingly as he tilted his head to the side and put his fists on his hips.

Rowan watched as more people broke away, running into the wheat field. Cell was showing her just how much he enjoyed flaunting his power as he taunted the poor broken man. The man could do nothing, absolutely nothing to avenge his sister. Rowan felt sick as the man fell to his knees, glaring up at Cell.

"Go to hell, you giant green bastard." The man spat angrily. The other man with the camera took another photo as Cell reached down, grabbing the wounded man by his throat and lifting him up as if he weighed nothing. He grabbed Cell's arm with his unbroken hand, trying to kick out. But it was no use. Cell only chuckled, enjoying himself.

"Pathetic, really." He said with a laugh.

Rowans anger suddenly snapped. She teleported herself to Cell with an angry flourish. The people, who were still standing around, gasped as she appeared out of nowhere. She grabbed Cell's arm and his eyes widened as he realized what she was doing.

"Rowan!" Cell snarled.

She was faster than he was, throwing her energy around just the two of them, excluding the man who's throat Cell held and she teleported again.

It had all happened in a heartbeat as the wounded man, suddenly released collapsed to the ground. People were stunned until the realization that the danger was gone hit them, and they rushed to help the wounded man.

Cell still had his hand outstretched when they re-appeared in the apple orchard. His grip turned into a fist as he lowered his arm to his side and he glared down at Rowan.

"You need to stop doing that." He snarled. Rowan glared back up at him.

"I can't watch you kill people, Cell!" She snapped back.

"I wasn't going to kill him." He snapped back, towering over her, imposing, but she stood her ground.

"It sickens me how you can get so much pleasure out of hurting others!" She yelled up at him. His eyes narrowed and he growled.

"I'd very much like to hurt you right now, you infuriating creature!" He snarled between gritted teeth. Rowan snarled back.

"Yeah, well you can just bite me, you ego inflated jack ass!" His snarl twisted into a grin. Rowan regretted her angry words instantly but she was nowhere near fast enough as he grabbed her, slamming her back roughly against the trunk of a nearby tree, pinning her wrists above her head with one hand as his mouth found her clavicle.

She cried out softly as his teeth bit into her flesh. It was a hard bite, the sudden-ness of it and the sharp pain that raced down her spine was electrifying. His pointed canines broke the flesh causing small drops of blood to well up. He licked her wound with a great deal of exaggeration, before he lifted his face to hers.

She could see only desire in his cruel eyes before he kissed her hungrily, still pinning her against the tree. Her heart raced, and her anger only made her blood even more heated. She bit his lip, a little more forcefully than she had actually intended, which only made him chuckle into her mouth.

"You're still a jack ass." She said quietly as he broke their kiss tilting her head to the side and gently biting her ear. Another electric shock ran down her body as his teeth pinched her sensitive flesh. He didn't break the skin, but he was being forceful, all in act of domination. One of his hands still held her arms pinned against the tree over her head, as the other ran down her side, sliding under her pants again.

She was completely at his mercy now, she knew as he brought her to the edge of that wonderful abyss. Her head rolled back against the tree and she groaned, but he stopped abruptly just as she was at the precipice, leaning back and sliding his fingers into his mouth erotically.

"You bastard." She said with a husked voice, laced with her own desire. He grinned and closed his eyes, savouring the small but potent surge of power he felt within him from such a small amount. His eyes opened again, half lidded and drunk with desire as he kissed her hungrily again.

She could taste herself on his lips, but it only made her even more aroused as he pressed his body against hers. He broke the kiss and using his free hand, he slowly unbuttoned her pyjama shirt.

"I'm going to make you mine." He whispered quietly as he exposed her breasts. She groaned loudly and in shock as her body trembled as he gently bit one of her hardened nipples. His free hand teased the other.

"Damnit Cell…" She groaned. He was masterful, pushing her to the edge, only to stop right as she was teetering. He was torturing her, in the worst way and she loved it. He chuckled again, obviously savouring every moment as he teased and tormented her.

Finally he stopped, his face flushed with colour as he kissed her mouth hard one last time before he finally let her go, stepping back. Rowan was surprisingly out of breath and she panted heavily as she watched as Cell flexed, his power surging around him. She had seen it before, but it was still amazing to watch as his armour disintegrated, leaving him exposed. But he didn't look at all vulnerable.

His sadistic grin, half lidded eyes and his obvious arousal were empowering. He stood for a moment, muscles tensed as she drank in the amazing brilliance of his sculpted body. He was relishing her approval as she stared in awe of him.

"Your turn." He said quietly, suddenly closing the distance between them as his hands slipped under her pants, grabbing her rear forcefully. She yelped in surprise and it only made him chuckle as his mouth found hers again. She snaked her arms around his neck, letting her nails drag across his skin. It did little to damage him, but the sensation had a powerful effect on him. He dropped her pants to the ground and pinned her against the tree again. She still wore her shirt, opened at the front, but it protected her back from the rough bark.

She could feel him pressing against her belly, and it only made her want him more. His hands still on her rear, he lifted her effortlessly and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He groaned into her mouth as he slid inside her, feeling the enveloping warmth and her tightness.

Inside her mind, now that she was consciously aware of it, she could feel the connection between Cell and her and she reached out for the brilliant blue sphere on the table. The reaction was instantaneous and completely encompassed them both. Cell's eyes widened and he froze for a moment mid thrust as he became consciously aware of Rowan.

He could feel her as if she was a part of him, could feel her loving warmth and her potent lust and hungry desire as strongly as he felt his own. She wasn't inside his head like she had been before. This was different.

"What… is that?" He asked, his voice hoarse. She hugged his head, breathing heavily against him.

"Our bond. Sealed." She whispered as she panted to catch her breath, against his forehead. He closed his eyes, trying to understand. He could feel her body; feel her pleasure mixing with his own. It was an intense feeling as he moved again. He could feel the way he filled her as he thrust inside, felt the pressure from her and from him and was almost overwhelming.

Almost.

He groaned loudly as he adjusted to this new awareness, thrusting forcefully inside of her. He could feel her body react to his and it only brought him closer to the edge. His mouth found her neck and he bit her again, only he could feel the electric shock as it ran through her body, tightening her belly and pushing her to the edge. She groaned loudly, her fingers tugging at his hair. It was a powerful thing, knowing just how much power he truly had over her.

The tree was beginning to lean from the strain as Cell lost his self-control. He was lost in the moment, lost in the intensity of the feeling and his need to release. Everything he felt was only amplified by Rowan's own need.

He could taste the potency of her gift as he lapped up her blood from his bite. It was the sweetest thing he had had ever tasted. His senses were overloaded as Rowan fell into the abyss, her body trembling, tightening around him as she cried out in the intensity of her climax. Cell could feel it and it was too much. He peaked with her, unable to control his own body as he surrendered to the paralysing pleasure, only made more intense by his new ability to feel Rowan.

His body drank up her gift as it flooded into his system, the most potent it had ever been. His muscles strained to contain the new power as it surged within him. He fought to maintain his control, but it was only the tiny tip of an immense iceberg.

"You have to let me take some of your power…" Rowan whispered hoarsely as he shuddered, still holding her against the tree, his face buried against her neck. He couldn't move. Everything he had was focused on controlling his own body, keeping his power in check. But still it grew. And grew.

Cell's power was too much for him to contain inside as it began to flare around him, brilliant and golden. Tiny arcs of blue electricity whipped out around him and the ground below him began to tremble.

"Cell…" Rowan's voice was worried, but he didn't respond. He was still fighting, but his power continued to grow. She could feel him trembling with the awesome struggle. His entire body was tense and his hair slowly began to defy gravity. A sphere of power formed around them, crackling wildly with energy, obliterating anything it touched. The tree gave out as half of it was disintegrated as the sphere formed. Rowan had to wrap her arms around Cells' neck, hanging on as her support vanished. He didn't move, hovering as the ground beneath them disappeared, consumed by his power.

"CELL!" She roared over the insanely loud roar of power and the cracks of lightning as it discharged out from the sphere. Overhead the clouds began to spiral from the sheer force of power. The ground was trembling and cracks were forming, racing through the orchard, toppling trees.

Cell still couldn't move. The sphere grew as his power still continued to rise. She could feel the intensity of the heat that came from the sphere and see the destruction it caused. A crater was forming beneath them, the land giving out under the weight of such power. Wind whipped up around them and his golden fiery aura engulfed them in a sudden burst as his black hair turned to gold.

It took everything Rowan had to maintain her focus enough to turn inwards and stop watching the destructive power of her lover.

Inside her mental house, she went to grab the blue sphere from the table, but it was gone. It took her a second to realize why. The bond had been sealed between them which was a permanent thing. He was now a part of her, and she was a part of him and the sphere was now embedded in her chest, right where her spidery scar was. It was smaller now, but its glow was quite intense.

Rowan didn't have time to appreciate what the sealed bond meant. She could see how he was struggling with the power, and even as amazing as he was, so much power so fast could prove to be too much of a strain on his body and he was risking the destruction of the Earth. She acted fast, touching the orb in her chest and feeling the sudden falling sensation as she appeared next to the fountain inside Cells' mental palace.

Everything was wrong. The palace was shaking, glowing golden cracks were racing through the stone. The pillars were crumbling and the statues were already collapsing. She gasped as she realized how bad the situation truly was and she raced inside. If Cell's mind was breaking, then his body wasn't far behind.

"Cell!" She screamed in desperation as she raced inside. He was hovering in the middle of the entrance hall, head back as he roared. It was a primal roar, terrifying. His hands were balled into fists and his wings were extended fully out and he was glowing brilliantly.

"Cell! You need to channel the power into me so I can vent it off! It's too much, too fast!" She screamed over the roar of power and the crumbling mental palace. He was losing himself, and he made no motion that he had even noticed her. Yelling at him wasn't enough.

Rowan lifted an arm to her face to protect herself from the surging power as her hair whipped violently around her and she forced herself towards him. The closer he got, the more powerful the push outwards and it became a struggle of wills as she tried to reach him.

But she grit her teeth in determination and she reached out, grabbing his calf as he hovered over her. Instantly, she felt the power rush into her own body and it was immense. She had been ready for it, but the sheer potency of energy was overwhelming.

Rowan opened her energy channels, and she felt her real body shaking under the strain of power as she vented it out and upwards in an immense column of golden light.

The sphere stopped growing. It was huge at this point. It had swallowed not just the orchard, but had reached the tiny town and swallowed several more properties. The crater was incredibly deep and actual lightning arched from the clouds, meeting the discharging energy in huge arcs of brilliant power, illuminating the black sky in vivid flashes.

Rowan had managed it, she was venting off his power, blasting it harmlessly upwards into the sky, funnelling it out of his body as quickly as she could manage without killing herself. But it wasn't without consequence. Such raw power was burning her inside and she couldn't keep up such an effort for long. She just needed to last long enough for Cell to regain his control.

It seemed to last forever, but in actual fact, the whole thing only lasted a few moments. The sphere began to disappear, the crackling power vanishing. The immense column shrank in size until finally the flow of power stopped.

It took several moments before Cell finally lifted his head, his hair returning to black as it hung once again around his face. He was panting heavily as he looked around at the destruction, and then at Rowan. She was shaking, gritting her teeth. Steam was wafting from her body and she was still faintly glowing. She managed a small smile, letting him know that she would be okay. His eyes turned hard. They were still in the same position they had been before, with her legs wrapped around his waist and his hands on her rear. He eased himself out of her body, causing her to wince and gasp.

Everything hurt. She felt like she had been boiled from the inside out. Cells' movement aggravated all of her pain and she could do nothing as he cradled her in his arms.

Cells' senses were returning as he regained full control over his own body and he made a full assessment of his power. Rowan's gift had not doubled his power. It had tripled, rapidly. She had vented off a good third of it, which was equivalent to what his power had been at max before, and as he realized just how much she had done. His body couldn't handle that much power in one go, not when it was so astronomically high to begin with. But even after she had vented a third of his power, it had left him with twice as much as he had before.

Which suited Cell nicely.

It took him only a few seconds to catch his breath, and fully regain his composure. He became aware of Gokus' presence, high up above them. He did not turn to acknowledge him yet. He was not surprised he had appeared, not after the amount of energy that had been discharged. Anyone who could sense energy, would have noticed that rather potent release.

Cells' attention was on Rowan. She seemed small in his incredibly muscular arms and she leaned against his chest, closing her eyes. She needed to rest more than anything else, he knew. His back was to Goku as he began to descend from the sky. Cell was acutely aware of his own nudity as he glanced over his shoulder, glaring at the blonde haired man, who looked… both horrified and excited. Cell couldn't help but smirk at that.

"Goku." Cell said calmly. Goku stared in wide-eyed shock at Cell.

"I didn't know your armour came off." Was the first thing Goku said. Cell's smirk vanished, replaced with an annoyed scowl.

"Now really isn't a good time for me Goku." Cell said flatly, turning his head away from Goku, dismissing him.

"Yeah no kidding? You almost destroyed the Earth Cell. Your power is insane." Goku sounded more excited than angry. Cell chuckled, but kept his back to Goku.

"Still want to fight me?" Cell asked smugly. Goku laughed.

"More than ever! You're going to be the greatest challenge. Just…" Goku trailed off. Cell looked back over his shoulder again.

"Just what?" Cell asked with an arched eyebrow. Goku stared at Cell for a long time.

"Well… I don't think Rowan will survive if you do that again. Not to mention the Earth." Cell pointed to Rowans' unconscious face. Cells' eyes narrowed.

"What I do in my free time is none of your business, Goku." Cell snarled.

"Actually it kind of is, since you almost destroyed the Earth. I could feel it shaking from the other side of the planet." Cells' face returned to his trademarked smirk and he chuckled again.

"Do you really think you stand a chance of stopping me?" Cell asked in his condescending voice. Goku folded his arms across his chest and looked calculating as he looked at Cell, thinking.

"In all honesty I doubt it. But I won't know until I try, will I?" Cells' smirk turned into a sadistic grin.

"I do look forward to our fight, Son Goku." Goku grinned.

"So do I! Look, just promise me that you won't risk the Earth until after the tournament? It's only a day away." Cell looked away from Goku, staring down at Rowans' face.

"You have my word." He said quietly.

"Good! Oh, and Cell?" Cell sighed nasally as he looked back over his shoulder again.

"What?"

"Look after Rowan, yeah? I know the others don't like her very much right now, but she is a good person and it's really her choice at the end of the day. Just don't hurt her, okay?" Cells' eyes narrowed and he frowned.

For such a simple man, Goku was not only surprisingly observant, but remarkably good-natured.

"Do not worry about Rowan, Goku. Perhaps you should be taking solace with your own wife instead." Goku's face blushed and he put a hand behind his head as he laughed.

"Yeah!" Cell turned back to Rowan again and Goku took the hint. "I'll see you at the tournament, Cell!" He said as he put his fingers against his forehead. Cells' eye narrowed as he studied Goku in the second he had before he disappeared. He was mildly annoyed that everyone seemed to be able to teleport, except for him.

"I look forward to it, Goku." He said quietly to himself.

Rowan moaned softly as he shifted her weight to make her more comfortable in his arms. He needed to find somewhere private, warm and dry.

"I can't believe she did that!" Piccolo roared as his energy flared around him. He was furious. "I should have killed her when I had the chance!"

"Come on Piccolo, that's not nice." Goku said in his chirpy voice. Piccolos' energy flared even greater as he turned on Goku.

"His power has doubled! We don't stand a chance against a power like that! We might have stood the tiniest of chances before but now all hope is truly lost! Why aren't you taking this seriously, Goku?! Do you want the Earth to be destroyed?! Do you want everyone you care about to die?!" Goku's face fell into a deep frown.

"I'm with Piccolo on this Goku. That girl is dangerous." Goku turned to face the young purple-haired man from the future and the others that had gathered at the look out. Piccolo roared, venting more energy as he paced.

Gohan looked down at his feet, Vegeta had his back turned on the group. Trunks, Krillin, Tien, Yamcha and Bulma holding the infant Trunks all looked worried.

"What are we going to do?" Tien asked angrily. Goku sighed.

"Should we try and get Rowan away from Cell again?" Krillin asked quietly.

"Nah." Goku said dismissively.

"What?!" Vegeta whirled around. His face was one of unadulterated fury, but it was a mask, hiding his fear. "Are you mad Kakkarot?! The girl presents a huge problem! We need to eliminate her before he can use her again!" Goku folded his arms and tilted his head to the side.

"Now wait a minute. How would you like it if someone attacked Bulma? It would do the same thing, hurting Rowan would only piss him off, and it wouldn't do us any good, trying to fight him like that."

"I can't believe she's actually choosing to be with him, after what he did to her." Bulma said in a sing-song voice as she rocked baby Trunks' in her arms. Despite her tone, there was no hiding the disappointment and anger in her voice.

"She's a traitor! She dooms us all, she needs to die!" Piccolo roared.

"Come on guys…" Goku tried to say.

"I'm with the Namekian, we should kill her!" Vegeta spat angrily.

"Guys!" Goku said a little louder.

"Maybe not kill her, but I definitely don't like her being with Cell." Tien added.

"GUYS, stop!" Goku yelled. Everyone stopped talking and stared at Goku. "Thank you, geez. Look, you're all looking at this the wrong way. Rowan isn't our enemy. She's a good person."

"A good person, who just doubled Cell's power." Krillin pointed out.

"Yeah, but, you're missing the point."

"What point?!" Piccolo demanded angrily.

"Well, she's changed Cell. He isn't the same as he was before. I think he loves her." There was a moment of stunned silence before Vegeta balled his fist and stepped forward, infuriated.

"What the hell, Kakkarot? He's an android! He's just using her like a tool! Don't go spouting nonsense about love and change. It's a load of bull!"

"I kind of agree with dad. The androids aren't capable of compassion, only hatred and destruction." Trunks added quietly.

"No, I saw it. He's definitely different." Goku said with enthusiasm as he smiled. Gohan looked at him with a surprised face.

"Love?"

"Everyone is capable of change!" Goku said happily. "Look at Vegeta! He used to be our enemy. So did you Piccolo. Now you're my friends and you're fighting alongside us to save the Earth and protect the people we love. Just think about it."

"That's entirely different!" Piccolo snarled, as he balled his fist.

"Is it?" Goku asked, still smiling.

The Z warriors continued to argue, and Gohan stared down at his feet again, lost in his own thoughts.

Rowan woke slowly, keeping her eyes closed as everything felt stiff and sore and she didn't want to move. She was lying on a soft mattress with a woollen blanket over her naked body and she was aware of a warmth pressed against her back, and another heavy warmth draped around her firmly.

It took her only a moment to realize she was lying in a bed with Cell's body pressed against her own, his arm draped over her. She carefully tilted her head, opening her eyes. It was dark outside and it took her a moment to adjust, but she could see his pale form behind her, his eyes closed. He looked peaceful as he slept. The storm from earlier was raging outside again. She could hear the shaking trees and the rain as the wind swept it against the window.

Rowan looked around the room. There were some smouldering logs in a brick fireplace, not quite bright enough for any light, but at least she knew why the air was delightfully warm. She could just barely make out the shadowy shapes of some basic furniture. The bed was little more than a mattress on the floor, but right now, it felt like heaven to her. All in all though, she had no idea where she was and the room was unfamiliar.

Cell stirred, just slightly as he took in a deep breath through his nose and tightened his grip on her before he settled again. Rowan stared at him, just appreciating the moment and accepting just how much she truly cared for him, and how much he cared for her. If he didn't have strong feelings towards her, the bond would not have been sealed. It had been a huge risk, just as it had been a huge risk to expect Cell to actually share his power with her. She sighed as she thought of that.

If she hadn't gone into his head and forcibly vented off the excess, he would have destroyed the world, and both of them would be dead. As it was, he had still kept a huge amount of the power for himself. She couldn't say she was surprised by this, but she was disappointed. She made a mental note to have words with him about that later.

For now, she felt truly content and she relaxed, settling back down into the pillow and closing her eyes. She turned inwards and spent several moments organizing her mental mind. It had changed, taking on some of Cell's traits. The room was still domed and recognizable as her house, but it was grander, the walls made of smooth marble. The pictures on the wall now sported ornate golden frames and the simple set of shelves had become beautiful and etched with gold leaf designs.

Cells' influence was rubbing off on her subconsciously and she couldn't help but smile at the changes. She took a moment to categorize the memories of the previous day, placing a small replica of her own body with the blue sphere in the chest on one of the shelves. It represented the intense moment when the bond was sealed and she had given herself completely to Cell. She stared at it for a moment before she finally sighed and concentrated.

She could feel Cell. He was as much a part of her as she was him. She could feel his very steady breathing, his powerful heart beating in his chest and the incredible amount of power that was hidden within. She had tasted that power yesterday and it had almost destroyed her in the process. But she had done what she had needed to, in order to save them both.

She felt herself fall, only to catch herself as she appeared outside Cells' mental palace. He had rebuilt it even grander than before. It seemed larger, more polished and truly imposing now. Rowan shook her head, amused, as she headed inside.

She found him in the control room, head lowered and eyes closed with his arms folded across his chest. He was still wearing his armour despite being naked in the bed, and as Rowan glanced down, she found that her mental self was wearing her favourite turtleneck and jeans.

He was asleep, and she could see flashes of his subconscious mind as he dreamt. She wanted to stay and watch, to see what was really in his head, but that felt like a betrayal of trust, and with a small sigh, she left him alone.

Rowan had never explored his inner mind. She had been afraid before, worried she would damage something, but now she wasn't. She understood better and she could look around without really doing any damage. She headed up one of the huge stair cases and stood on the landing, looking around.

To the left side was an immense and grand hall way that held hundreds of doors for as far as she could see. The large marble sign above the hall way announced that this was where he kept his memories and data. To the right side, was a huge door. No sign adorned this door and was shut tightly.

Rowan was tempted. But instead she turned and headed down the memory hall. The hallway itself was lavishly decorated. A huge purple and golden carpet runner ran down the middle, plush under her feet and large paintings and sculptures adorned the spaces between doors. She recognized some of the art pieces as things from throughout history. Each of the large doors was lavishly decorated in gold leaf that spelt out what the door represented.

"History, Biology, Geography, Literature, Languages, Chemistry, Physics…" She read them out as she walked, feeling for a moment like she was back in school. "Genetics, Piccolo…" She stopped as she realized the next few doors were marked with the names of the people who made up his DNA. "Goku, Krillin, Frieza, King Cold, Tien, Vegeta…" She stopped abruptly staring at a pair of doors that stood side by side.

"Future Rowan and Past Rowan." She hesitated outside the door marked 'Future Rowan' and fought a mental battle with herself. She was so tempted to know what she was like.

"No… It's not me. I am not her and I never will be. She's just another person he knew." She finally said to herself. She turned away walking further down the hallway.

She stopped again as another door caught her eye.

"Ki Management and Techniques." She read the next door over, "Fighting styles and stances." The door after that bore the inscription of "Special Techniques." She hesitated for just a moment before she opened the door to _Ki Management and Techniques_ and headed inside. It was a huge room, reminiscent of an old fighting dojo with the wooden floor and vast array of weapons on the racks to the side of the room. The ceiling was huge and domed and she could barely see it. On one side of the room was just a huge wall of shelves neatly organized with tiny figurines. Rowan headed to these and smiled to herself.

Cells' organizational skill were exceptional. Each of the small statues held a golden figure of himself performing the particular ability and neatly inscribed with a title.

"Destructo Disc." She read out the first one she saw. The little figure was of Cell with one arm raised over his head holding what looked like a very thin, circular saw blade. "Gallic Gun, Big Bang, Kamehamaeha, Masenko, Final Flash, Special Beam Cannon, Spirit Bomb, Death Ball… Wow, that's an original name." Rowan chuckled to herself. She kept reading the attacks as she moved along the shelves, stopping abruptly as she found something that interested her.

"Flying!" She exclaimed out loud as she read the inscription. It was a figurine of Cell with his wings out and his fists by his side with one knee bent, both feet pointed at the ground. It was a good figurine.

She touched it, feeling an electrical current run through her body for a moment. She let go and blinked. It took her a moment to regain her senses after the sudden and rather abrupt shock and she stood up, staring at the little statue. It seemed to shine but she didn't feel any different.

"You really shouldn't play with those." Rowan whirled around, facing Cell as he stood, arms folded in the door way. She grinned sheepishly at him.

"I was curious, sorry." She said. He didn't look amused and he narrowed his eyes at her.

"What are you doing anyway? Of all the places you could go, I'm surprised you chose this room."

"I wasn't going to intrude inside your private thoughts or memories, Cell. But I was curious if I could learn to fly." He stared at her, unblinking for a moment before he finally smirked.

"I'll teach you how to fly. If you teach me how to teleport." Rowan stared at Cell in mild surprise.

"Uhh… I don't know if I can. But, I guess I'll try." Cell's smirk turned into a grin.

"Good." Rowan felt herself fall as he mentally pushed her out of his head.

Her eyes opened as Cell moved besides her on the mattress. His arm tightened around her and he nuzzled her ear. All her aches and stiffness rushed back to her again and she couldn't help but groan.

"Are you alright?" He asked tentatively. She rolled her head over, smiling up him.

"Fine, just sore." Her stomach chose a good time to chime in, growling in protest at the lack of food recently. "And hungry." She added. Cell chuckled as he leaned down, kissing her softly.

"Breakfast, and then, we teach each other." He said with absolute authority. She could only smile.

Dawn was beginning to break outside. It was still miserable weather, but the grey light turned the black silhouettes into actual objects. She could make out the basic wooden furniture in the small house around her.

"Where are we?" She asked as she watched as Cell stood up, appreciating his naked body as he flexed and stretched.

"Cabin in the woods. It was the first place I found." He replied casually. He flexed again, focussing. His armour erupted around him, minus his helmet, splattering green regenerative goo all around the room. Rowan sighed as the now-armoured android looked back at her.

"You know I don't have any clothes." She said flatly after a moment. She made no attempt to leave the warmth of the make-shift bed. Cell chuckled and headed towards the closet. It looked like it had been hurriedly emptied in a rush to evacuate and only a few old flannelette shirts still hung from the rack. Cell grabbed a red one and tossed it at Rowan. She mumbled her thanks as she slipped the overly large, long sleeved shirt around her and buttoned it up. She stood up and stretched, feeling all her aches protest at the movement, but it eased some her stiffness.

Cell had found a pair of old white-washed jeans in the drawers and he handed these to Rowan. She slipped them on without even needing to unbutton them. They were too large. Cell frowned but he found a belt.

"It will have to do for now." He said simply. Rowan shrugged.

"It'll do. I'm not trying to win a fashion show." She said a little flatly as she slipped the belt through the jeans and did it up, pulling the shirt over the top of the jeans. She looked like an ill-fitted lumber jack she mused to herself but it couldn't be helped.

Cell was in front of her suddenly, and she started. Only he caught her back with one hand, pulling her against his body. He seemed taller and his armour only made his muscles look even larger and his eyes, brighter. He gently tucked her hair behind her ear, before he lowered his face to hers, kissing her gently.

As her arms snaked around his neck, she could definitely feel the difference. He was thicker, larger and taller. Only slightly, but enough to notice. He still tasted good however and she licked her lips as he let her go. This earned her a smirk from the tyrant.

"Any food?" She asked as she finally tore herself away from him and rummaged through the cabins' cupboards.

"I sincerely doubt it." Cell added as he watched Rowan. Her inspection only confirmed that there was indeed, no food in the cabin.

"Shame you destroyed the orchard. I could really use one of those apples. Or some pancakes. Or waffles! I haven't had waffles in ages." Rowan mused out loud. Cell chuckled.

"You could just teleport us to where you know there is some food." Cell suggested casually. Rowan looked back at Cell with a small smile.

"Clever." She pointed out before she turned and walked over to him. He embraced her as she leaned up, kissing the bridge of his nose.

Rowan threw her energy around them again, focusing her mind on the café back in Central City.

They appeared suddenly on the second floor inside the huge shopping mall. It was eerie this early in the morning and there were no sounds at all. The fountain and the music were both now dead and silent. Rowan looked around. A lot of the shop windows were smashed and the metal gates that secured them were torn down.

"This place looks like it's been hit by a hurricane." Rowan muttered. Cell's face was hard.

"Looters, most likely." He stated. Rowan nodded and sighed, feeling her hopes of an easy breakfast shattering. They headed inside the café and Rowan sighed. The kitchen had been trashed. Drawers of utensils had been pulled out and thrown on the floor, pots and pans were scattered and the fridge and freezer doors were both wide open.

"Well that sucks." Rowan sighed. Shen felt Cell's arms tighten around her in a sign of reassurance. She let her eyes linger on the chrome bench, feeling her cheeks flush as she remembered the last time they were here.

"Come Rowan. Let's try somewhere else." He said quietly. Rowan sighed.

"Where would you like to go?" She asked.

"Hmm… Somewhere you've been before so you can teleport... Why not Marys' café?" Rowan whirled around in his arms, facing him. He smirked as she broke into a broad smile.

"That's actually pretty genius, Cell." She said.

"I know." He said smugly. Rowan laughed and she kissed him again as she threw her energy around them, disappearing.

They reappeared in the small alley that separated Rowans' old workplace from the hardware store next door. Cell let her go as she poked her head around the corner, looking around. It looked quiet and deserted and she sighed relief.

"Looks good." She said quietly as she headed up the wooden stairs that led to the porch of the old café. She peered inside the window for a moment as Cell walked out of the alley way and into the street.

"Wait here a sec, I'll disarm the alarm." She said as she teleported inside. A moment later and the front door clicked as she unlocked it, opening the door.

"You know, for all the times I've seen this place, I've never actually been inside." Cell said as he had to duck to fit through the door. Even without his helmet he was unnaturally tall. He stood in the main room, looking around. The wooden tables and chairs were stacked neatly against one wall. A cake cabinet separated the kitchens from the room and Rowan simply slipped around it, heading out back. This place was familiar to her, and it felt like a second home as she rummaged around.

"Oh yes!" She exclaimed loudly, "I'm so making pancakes." Cell smirked, proud of himself as he waited patiently for Rowan as she mixed the pancake batter. She let it sit in the chrome mixing bowl, placing it on the front counter.

"Thank you, again, Cell." She said with a smile. He slowly inclined his head in response. She paused for a moment before she slid around the counter and into his arms, kissing him softly.

She finally stepped back out of his embrace and headed back into the kitchen with the batter and she cooked a huge stack of pancakes.

Breakfast consisted of pancakes and apple juice with syrup and butter. Cell gratefully declined but was content to watch as she shovelled the food into her starving face.

"Your rings are gone." Cell said after a moment as he noticed her bare fingers. Rowan swallowed her current mouthful, looking at her fingers.

"Yeah. I guess they got destroyed last night." She said a little sadly. She looked at Cell, his arms were folded and she couldn't see his fingers. "What about yours?" She asked. He smirked as he slowly unfolded his arms, holding up his hands. Both of the rings were still in tact.

"Oh that's unfair. How come yours didn't get destroyed?" She asked. He chuckled as he looked at the rings on his fingers.

"Most likely because my energy was _around_ us. When you were channelling it, it was just straight out of your body, disintegrating your shirt and your rings." Rowan made a small 'o' with her mouth before she shrugged.

"Oh well. I guess it didn't matter in the end anyway." Rowan muttered as she took another sip of her juice. Cell's eyes narrowed.

"I suppose that's true. With only one working set, it doesn't matter now. If the Z warriors wanted to find me, they need only look for your energy." Rowan looked back up at Cell, studying his face for a moment.

"And if you're thinking of giving me the set, the reverse would be true." Cell nodded his agreement, and watched as Rowan finished her meal. He looked down at his hands, before he slowly removed the bands off of his fingers and looked at them intently.

Rowan finished her meal and silently stood up, she grabbed her dishes and headed into the kitchen to clean up. Cell was still standing as she left him when she returned minutes later. He turned to face her, his face still strangely dark. She kissed the bridge of his nose, hoping to soften him up, but instead, his eyes narrowed.

"What is it?" She asked, concerned. He kept eyes locked on hers, but he gently grabbed her left hand and slid one of the rings onto her ring finger. She tore her eyes away from his, looking down at her hand, noticing that he had the other ring on his own finger.

"What…" her voice failed her as the impact of what he had just done struck her.

"I am not a narcissist, Rowan. You are a part of me now." He said quietly. He took her in his arms, kissing her softly. "This proves it."

She couldn't stop herself from remembering 16's words. _'He's manipulating you_ '. She tried to push the words from her mind, but they had soured the moment.

 _He's not manipulating me. He has what he wanted from me. If he was only using me for my gift, he could leave now, satisfied. But he's staying._ She tried to convince herself. She was overwhelmed, and she buried her face against his neck as he held her tightly.

"You are mine, Rowan." He said quietly into her ear. She felt her stomach tighten.

"And you are mine." She replied back. He tightened his arms, giving her a gentle squeeze of affirmation. This was a moment that nothing would every mar, she realized. A precious thing, shared just between the two of them.

She wanted to stay there forever, feeling his warm embrace and the absolute contentment that came with the acceptance that he did in fact, love her as she loved him.

Finally he loosened his grip and she stepped back, looking up at his face. He frowned and gently wiped away a tear. She hadn't even realized she had been crying. She smiled, a true smile that reached her eyes and made her radiate warmth. His face softened, and she leaned up, kissing him gently for a moment before she finally turned and headed back to the kitchen. Cell waited for her in his usual spot, staring at the ring on his finger.

It had been an unexpected thing for him to do. Even he couldn't explain why, but he didn't regret it.

Rowan finally appeared again, carrying a cloth bag over her shoulder. She sighed, smiling as she stopped in front of Cell. She was still reeling from the elation of his actions, and the hope it had given her about the outcome of the Tournament. Cell slowly smirked sadistically at her and she felt her smile vanish.

"What are you grinning about?" She asked slowly. Cell only laughed, before he suddenly disappeared in a rush of air. Rowan yelled out loud at the sudden shock. She heard his laugh from outside, saw him standing in the middle of the street.

"How did you…?" She trailed off, unable to believe that he could teleport.

"I told you, I'm a fast learner." He said as he tapped the side of his head. "Now hurry up." Rowan was still stunned, staring at him through the window, before she finally regained her composure. She hurriedly locked the door and re-set the alarm before she too teleported outside, appearing next to Cell.

"Did you really learn how to teleport just by watching me?" She asked. He nodded, still chuckling. He placed his hand on her shoulder and she felt the sudden rush of warmth before they disappeared again.

They reappeared in a large expanse of red rock. She looked around, frowning. It seemed familiar but she hadn't been here before.

"Where are we, exactly?" She asked. Cell smirked.

"Not far from my arena." He replied as he pointed his thumb over his shoulder. She looked in the direction he indicated. She could see the ledge of a huge cliff drop away, only to give in to the flat expanse of land where Cell's arena was. It was tiny, and distant, a small square of white against the red earth, but there it was.

"We should be far away enough from prying eyes for a while." He said simply as he folded his arms. Rowan nodded and she looked around her immediate surroundings. There were several large boulders and a large scattering of smaller rocks. A cliff face rose sharply up off to one side and the ground behind her, sloped gradually down before it turned into forest. Rowan unslung the bag and walked over to a boulder, placing it on top.

"Lunch!" She said with a grin as Cell's eye brow rose. He nodded slowly in acknowledgement. She watched as he took a deep breathe, concentrating for a moment, before his helmet shot out of his head, regenerating in a shower of green goo. Rowan wiped off some as it splattered her cheek with a disgusted look, flicking it off her fingers. Cell only laughed at her.

"So, I'm going to teach you how to fly." He said in a proud voice as he folded his arms across his chest. Rowan stared at him. "Shall we begin?"


	10. X

**A/N Sorry for the delay. Longest chapter yet and I re-wrote it about a dozen times.**

The sun had risen high above them, chasing away the left over clouds from the early morning storm. It was bright and beautifully warm. Everything was still soaked and it only added to the beauty of the landscape as water droplets clung to the grass and the leaves of the trees, glittering in the noon light.

Cell was standing with his arms across his chest, his head tilted to the sky above him, a smirk on his face as he took sadistic pleasure in watching Rowan struggle.

She was glowing blue, her fists clenched as she gritted her teeth. She was hovering a good 30 feet off of the ground, but it was costing her all her concentration and focus and her energy was running low. Her ill-fitting clothes were torn and dirtied and she was sporting several bruises from her more-than-just-a-little-rough landings.

But still, she was flying.

"You're still wasting too much energy. You aren't focusing enough." Cell yelled up at her. Rowan snarled at his words and tried to feel her power as it surrounded her. She was forcing it down, through her feet, propelling her upwards, but she could see that Cell was right. There was still so much of her energy that was just radiating out from her, causing her to glow blue. It was too draining and she couldn't keep it up.

She was completely absorbed in her own body, trying to stop the radiating power without sacrificing her height. The sudden blast of energy that shot right past her face startled her, snapping all of her focus and concentration and causing her to scream out as she fell, unable to regain her control.

She might not have been good at flying, but her teleporting was becoming increasingly natural to her, and she disappeared as she fell, re-appearing on a grassy patch of land near some boulders, the inertia of her fall being cancelled out, but she still stumbled forward, struggling to keep her balance.

She turned to hurl an insult at Cell, only to find another energy blast powering towards her. She disappeared, re-appearing just as the boulders she had been standing in front of, exploded in a shower of dust and shards of rock.

"Cell, what the…" She disappeared again as another blast came for her. Cell was laughing, as he hurled the weak blasts at Rowan. She barely had a chance to catch her breath between teleports.

"Stop it Cell!" She roared. He did stop, a ball of energy in one of his large pale hands. He grinned at her, his eyes wild with the excitement. Rowan panted, catching her breath as she glared daggers at the tyrant, and her lover.

"Are you trying to kill me?" She asked angrily. His eyes narrowed and his grin widened. He suddenly disappeared. Alarm bells rang in Rowans' mind and she whirled around, scanning the landscape for his form. She couldn't see him anywhere and this only made her start to panic.

She quickly turned inwards, probing her connection she shared with him. Suddenly she became aware of his presence as completely as she was her own and she whirled around, looking up, as he hurled another blast at her, throwing her hands out in front of her as the energy ball struck her open palms, forcing her backwards.

She struggled for only a moment as her body fought against the sudden surge of power as she absorbed the energy. Only, this time something had changed. The power wasn't foreign to her and it didn't sit uncomfortably in her core as it had yesterday. Instead, her body relished the surge and she felt the energy become her own. She didn't have to purge this power from her system. This confused her for a moment, which made her drop her guard.

The second energy blast struck her shoulder and knocked her flying backwards. She grunted as she landed, sprawling on the grass, stunned.

Cell landed close by, laughing loudly.

"Tsk tsk Rowan, you weren't paying attention!" He said as he stood over her, blocking out the sun from overhead and looking down at her face. She blinked a few times, before she slowly sat up, aware of the burning pain across her left shoulder. She inspected it, annoyed and frustrated.

"Damnit." She muttered angrily under her breath. A hand sized patch of skin on her shoulder had been burned from the blast and had left a huge hole in her shirt. The burn was only minor, but it still stung.

"That should serve to remind you about paying attention." He said casually, smirking. Rowan glared up at him as she stood to her feet and tried to shove him. She might as well have tried to shove a mountain. He didn't even move and all it earned her was a jarred wrist. She grumbled as she turned her back on him, storming towards the bag of food that had been waiting for her all morning.

"You're supposed to teach me how to fly, not how to dodge energy blasts." She said as she angrily opened a bottle of water, downing half the contents before pouring some gently across her burned skin. Cell approached her, still smirking.

"You know how to fly. You just aren't very good at it." He retorted with a chuckle. Rowan glared at him over her shoulder, angry.

"You are a jerk." She mumbled pointedly.

"I am, aren't I?" he agreed, as he pulled her into his embrace, making her drop the water bottle. She was still pouting up at him, but she didn't fight him as he kissed her.

After a moment he broke the kiss and looked down at her thoughtfully. Slowly, his face turned malicious as he grinned, showing his pointed canines.

"Perhaps you would learn faster if you were given some motivation." He said cruelly. Rowans felt her stomach tighten and she narrowed her eyes at the android.

"What are you planning, Cell?" She asked quietly. Cell just chuckled and absently tucked some of her hair behind her ear before he let Rowan go and stepped back. His wings opened a fraction and he slowly hovered off of the ground, making it look incredibly easy.

"Your home town is about 400 miles that way." Cell said loudly, as he pointed his arm out to the side. Rowan glared at Cell.

"I am aware. It's half way across the spice district." She said quietly.

"I'm going to give you until 2 o'clock to reach the town centre, or I'll level it." He said with a menacing grin. Rowan's eyes widened and she stared, dumbfounded at him.

"You wouldn't dare…" She said, knowing that he in fact, would. Cell chuckled as he looked down at her.

"If you teleport in order to cheat, you lose. 2 O'clock Rowan, I'll be watching you closely." Cell tapped his head with a menacing grin as he watched her, delighted as her anger made her blue aura rage around her.

Rowan looked up at the sky. The sun was more or less, overhead. That didn't give her a lot of time to fly 400 miles. It seemed like an impossible task.

"You're a bastard." She snarled as she looked back at Cell. He only folded his arms and chuckled at her insult.

"You don't have a lot of time. You really should get moving, _Dear._ " He said, purring the last word cruelly. Rowans' eyes narrowed as she watched Cell as he rose into the air effortlessly.

Rowan took a deep breath, finding her centre as she focused. The power she had absorbed from Cell had given her a small energy burst, but she was still running low and 400 miles was a very long way. She did a quick assessment of the situation. If she was driving, she could make the 400 mile journey in about 6 or so hours. She figured she had maybe an hour before 2. 400 miles in an hour… Was that even possible?

"Rowan, time is ticking." Cell snapped her out of her moment of thought and she scowled at Cell.

"I can't fly that fast, Cell." She said quietly, admitting her own defeat.

"Then your town will be destroyed." Cell replied conversationally. Rowan glared down at the ground, feeling like a failure.

"Please don't." She pleaded.

"The only thing stopping you, Rowan, is your own doubt. Are you so sure you can't, that you won't even try?" Cell asked, his tone was disappointed. This stung Rowan and she glared up at him. He shook his head slowly, a disappointed frown on his face. "Pathetic. I thought you were more determined than this. Perhaps I was wrong about you after all. I wonder what else I was wrong about?"

His words stabbed Rowan hard, and the pain of disappointment, mingled with her anger. Cell sighed nasally and his aura erupted around him in a brilliant golden light.

"If this is how you want to be Rowan, then I'll just go destroy it now and save myself the wait." Cell turned towards the direction of the town, still glowing brilliant in his show of power.

"No wait!" Rowan yelled out. She grit her teeth as she forced her energy down and she pushed off of the ground. She wasn't steady, but she rose up, facing Cell. She could feel his energy flaring around him, hot and brilliant. He watched her carefully as she approached his fiery aura, holding her hand out. She knew he was manipulating her, pulling her strings as if she was only a puppet under his control, but she also knew, with a great deal of certainty, that he would hold true to his word. She couldn't let him destroy her town.

She sucked in some of his radiating energy through her extended hand. He didn't try to stop her, watching with a degree of curiosity, but he kept his face pulled down in a disappointed scowl.

After several moments Rowan backed away, lowering her hand.

"Which way again?" She asked flatly as she forced herself to lock eyes with him. Slowly his scowl turned into a smirk and he pointed backwards, just to the right of the arena.

Rowan took another deep breath, and with a great deal of concentration and focus, she forced her now supplemented energy out behind her as she faced the right direction. Her energy flared out in a whirl of bright blue but it took her several moments to pick up speed as she was unsure of herself and she had to adjust to flying. But by the time she reached the arena, she had a firm grip on the single direction flying and she got a brief glimpse of a birds' eye view of all the people scattered around the large white tiled square. But the square itself was devoid of people, as if they knew that stepping foot on it, would incur the androids wrath.

The view disappeared as she flew overhead, aware that she must have been an imposing sight, with her glowing blue aura flaring around her body, leaving a long arching trail of blue behind her. She couldn't deny, she felt elated as the ground rushed by underneath her.

The elation died suddenly and she felt her heart skip a beat as she looked around and she spotted the absolutely monstrous crater of destruction they had created yesterday. It was incredibly deep, perfectly rounded as if a massive person had taken an ice-cream scoop out of the Earth. The town was gone. The orchards were gone. The crater had almost reached the lake on the far side, but it had stopped just short of the lake and the caravan park. The bottom of the giant crater was so far down, that the base was cast in deep shadow and all she could see was darkness.

Rowan slowed, unable to tear her eyes away from the extent of the devastation that she had caused by simply giving herself to Cell. She mentally reminded herself that it had been a necessity to seal the bond between them, but it was still a shock to truly see how damaging Cell's power actually was.

As if her thoughts summoned him he appeared with his brilliant golden aura besides her. He followed her gaze down to the destruction but rather than regret and despair at the damage done, he smirked, relishing his own destructive power.

"As much fun as it is to reminisce, I feel I must remind you that you are short on time, my dear." He said casually, unable to hide his apparently delight from his voice. Rowan glared at him for several moments, before, with a final look at the crater, she sighed and blasted off again, as fast as she could.

Cell matched her speed effortlessly and even taunted her by putting his arms behind his head and turning onto his back as he flew underneath her, looking as if he belonged more in a hammock on a sunny beach, than powering through the sky. He was watching Rowan intently, grinning up at her, but it was costing her everything she had to keep herself steady. The wind biting the tender skin of her face, wasn't helping her now dark mood.

"How do you deal with the wind in your face?!" Rowan yelled, trying to project over the sound of their flaring energy and the rushing wind. Cell chuckled, amused as he righted himself and pulled up alongside her again.

"Push a small amount of your energy in front of your face and it will divert the wind from your eyes. But if you're struggling with simply focusing on flying, I doubt you'll be able to control it." Cell said simply. His ego annoyed her further, but she said nothing as she turned inwards.

Focusing her power on maintaining her flight was difficult, but she was managing reasonably well. Trying to focus on that while focusing on pushing a small amount of power around her face as well, proved to be too much and she felt her flight wobble and almost give out. She gave up on focusing on two things, instead just concentrating on her flying as she snarled.

They flew in relative silence for a few more moments as Rowan's mind raced. She was a problem solver, and she couldn't fly any faster unless she could figure out how to stop the wind. She didn't have the focus to power energy in two different places at once. But teleporting had become natural to her, and so had the blanket of power she threw around herself in order to teleport.

She tried it now, going through the actions of teleporting, without actually teleporting. And it worked. The energy blanket acted as a cushion, pushing the air around her, softening the tear of the wind against her face. She was still focusing on her flight, and it hadn't suffered more than a moment of unsteadiness and the blanket of energy put very little strain on her power resources.

Rowan gave herself a mental celebration for only a moment before she addressed the next problem. She was acutely aware that Cell was watching her intently, but she pushed him from her mind. She needed to focus on herself right now. She was still wasting too much energy in her flying. At this rate she wouldn't even make the 400 miles before she ran out of power and she doubted Cell would let her siphon off some of his power again when she ran out.

Rowan tried to stop radiating energy. Her aura dimmed from a fiery blue inferno, to a dim glow, but she didn't drop in speed. She reduced the amount of power she was aiming down, pushing more behind her, and she almost cheered as she felt herself accelerate rapidly.

She was figuring it out. It was hard maintaining control over such power, but she was learning, and fast.

"Well done Rowan!" Cell said, matching her increased speed easily. "Perhaps you might be worthy of _me_ yet!" He laughed as she shot him a vicious glare in response, but she didn't say anything. She was concentrating.

"You still need to go faster if you want to save your town, however!" He added as he accelerated in front of her. He raised two fingers to the side of his head and gave her a half-hearted wave. "Remember, I'll be watching you Rowan!" His aura burned brighter as he accelerated suddenly, his speed was insane as he put distance between them rapidly.

"CELL! Wait!" Rowan roared after him, but he was already gone, leaving behind a brilliant golden streak of energy as he became little more than a speck over the horizon within seconds. Rowan was stunned at just how fast Cell was. As if to prove a point, she saw the explosion of white around his golden glow and several seconds later, was greeted with the monstrous Boom. He had broken the sound barrier.

 _What a show off._ She thought to herself, but she couldn't stop herself from smiling. Until she remembered where he was going. Rowan's smile disappeared as she clenched her jaw, her mood soured once again, forcing more power into her flight, picking up speed.

Only a couple of minutes had passed since Cell had left her, but the terrain beneath her had changed from the fields and gently sloping farm lands into steep rocky outcroppings and a large gorge that carved its way across the land. The mountains were getting closer as the terrain became less green and more grey.

Rowan was beginning to feel the exertion. Her body was aching and she was breathing heavily. Her clothes and hair whipped around her but she was warm from the blanket of energy that thinly coated her skin.

 _'You aren't going to make it, Rowan.'_ Cells' sudden voice inside her own head caused Rowan to exclaim loudly, breaking her concentration and causing her to fall. She caught herself though, and pushed her energy harder, forcing her to regain her lost altitude and accelerate back up to speed. Rowan turned her minds' eye inwards.

He wasn't inside her head, as she had been inside his, but rather, he was using their bond, talking through it.

 _'I didn't know we could do that.'_ She said inwardly. Cell chuckled in reply.

 _'Really? Well, it's quite a useful technique when you think about it.'_ He mused. Cell forced an image of a clock into Rowan's mind, and she could see it clearly. It was a large hand-made wooden clock hanging in the window of a hardware store, the hardware store in Sumac city next to Marys' café. Cell was standing in the centre of town already.

 _'Damn you're fast.'_ Rowan said with a frown.

 _'You don't have much time left.'_ Cell pointed out as he focused on the clock. The time was 1:42. She had 18 minutes left.

 _'How far away am I?'_ She asked cautiously. Cell mused for a moment. She could see through his minds' eye as he sensed her out. He saw her as a small, but very bright golden glow. She could also see hundreds of smaller and less-bright yellow glows in tightly packed areas below. He could see the people in the small towns tucked away in a valley not far from where she was flying. She was amazed by this.

 _'Not quite half way._ ' Cell said after a moment. Rowan felt her chest tighten at his words.

 _'Crap!'_ Cell chuckled again, before the image of her glowing form disappeared from her mind. Cells' attention was brought back to the window he was looking at. Rowan could still see what he was seeing. It was like one eye was focused on what she saw, flying over the landscape and the other, was focused on what Cell was seeing, a reflection in the hardware window. It was a human man, short and stocky with a long black pony tail and thick bushy moustache. His blue eyes were piercing and wore an apron around his waist.

Cell never turned to face him, but he was watching him in the reflection.

 _'That's Reece Hanson! He's Sumac City's' butcher…'_ Rowan said, sounding worried.

Reece was carrying a large rifle and he was standing on the opposite side of the street, behind where Cell was standing. Cells' attention switched from Reece as his eyes focused on the window behind Reece. Reece's' wife was inside the butchery, a small camcorder in her hands. She was filming Cell.

 _'You had better fly faster, Rowan. At 2 O'clock, these two will be dead if you aren't here.'_

 _'No… Damnit Cell, I won't let you kill them!'_ Rowan's fury fed her energy and her aura erupted around her, brilliant and blue as she accelerated rapidly. Her energy blanket grew stronger as well, and she considered teleporting to the town in order to save Reece and his wife.

 _'If you teleport Rowan, I'll kill them right now.'_ Cell said pointedly. _'You still aren't flying fast enough.'_ Cell was smirking, obviously enjoying himself. _'Better fly faster.'_

Rowan roared loudly, clenching her fists as she released all of her energy, forcing it behind her. She rapidly accelerated, until the ground beneath her turned into little more than a blur. Even with her protective blanket of energy, the wind began to hurt her face, but still she pushed harder.

Rowan could only watch through Cells' eyes as he focused back on Reeces' reflection in the hardware window as Reece cocked the gun to his shoulder and aimed it at Cells' broad back. Cell only smirked.

 _'Don't you dare hurt him! Reece is a good man!'_ Rowan screamed mentally. She was putting everything she had into flying, aware that every muscle in her body burned with the force of her power, and that soon, she would have nothing left.

"Cell! Turn around, you giant, green, son of a bitch!" Reece's gruff voice held a heavy southern accent. Cell slowly glanced back over his shoulder giving Reece the once over, before turning his attention back to the hardware window and the clock, effectively dismissing Reece.

Reece was trembling. Rowan couldn't tell if it was from fear or anger. All she could think of was that she had to save him. He had always been good to her, offering her a smile and a chat as she walked through town, and occasionally some free sausage links or cuts of meat, and she couldn't bear to watch him die because of her.

"Damnit, don't you ignore me!" Reece yelled angrily. "I'm warning you, I will shoot!" Cell still didn't move. He kept his back to Reece and made no acknowledgment of Reece or his threat.

 _'Hurry up Rowan.'_ Cells' voice taunted as he focused on the clock. Less than 5 minutes to go.

"That's it! Go to hell!" Reece yelled before he squeezed the trigger on his rifle. The bang was incredibly loud to Rowan, aware that Cells' hearing was sensitive. Cell didn't move. The bullet struck his lower back, but it bounced off harmlessly, clattering to the pavement floor.

Reece stared in stunned silence at the spent bullet, crushed from the force of the impact. He swallowed the lump in his throat, visibly afraid. But he wasn't a coward and he reloaded his gun, aiming it back at Cell and firing again.

This time, the bullet struck the exposed flesh in the back of Cells neck. But it had much the same reaction as the first, the crushed bullet dropping to the floor without leaving so much as a mark on Cells' skin.

Cell chuckled as Reece lowered his gun, horrified, but he stood his ground, staring.

"Are you quite done?" Cell asked casually. He still didn't turn to face Reece, watching him through the reflection in the window, while also keeping an eye on the clock.

"What… Are you?" Reece managed, his voice shaking. Cell smirked and slowly unfolded his arms.

The clock read 1:59.

Rowan was screaming with absolute determination. She had no energy left, but still she was powering across the sky like bright blue jet fighter, running entirely on grit determination and her anger.

Cell watched the clock as it the second hand ticked around to the 12.

"Time is up." Cell said out loud.

"What?" Reece replied.

"NOOOOO!" Rowan screamed out loud. She could see the town up ahead, nestled in amongst the forested area. She could even see the clearing in the distance where once her little house had been nestled amongst the greenery.

Cell turned around slowly, facing Reece, as he raised one of his arms, stretching out his hand. He paused for just a moment, chuckling.

A sphere of brilliant and intense blue light formed in his outstretched palm, aimed at Reece. Reece was still shocked and he made no attempt to move as Cell laughed cruelly, firing the blast.

The sudden eruption of dirt and debris cloaked the street in a cloud of dust. Small chunks of pavement rained down and Cell smirked. He wasn't a fool.

The dust cleared and Reece was still standing, staring at Rowans' back. The blast hadn't been from Cell, but the sheer amount of force that she had crashed into the ground with, but she had saved Reece, absorbing the energy blast with her outstretched hands.

Unfortunately, she was utterly spent. Her body had been pushed beyond her limits and she was struggling just to keep standing upright. She was trembling, covered in sweat and panting heavily, but the fire in her eyes burned bright and she glared at Cell.

"…Rowan?" Reece managed a hoarse whisper. The shock and surprise on his face made him look like an entirely different person. Rowan didn't break her glare with Cell but she turned her face to the side, talking over her shoulder.

"Get out of her Reece." She said quietly. Reece was shocked into silence.

"You're late." Cell said with a smirk as he powered up another blast in his hand. Rowan grit her teeth.

"Damnit Cell! Are you really going to destroy the whole town because of 10 fricking seconds?" She asked angrily, still breathing heavily. Cell tilted his head back, grinning.

"Of course. You were supposed to be here by 2 O'clock. You were too slow."

"Wait… But… It's only 1…" Reece pointed out, his voice small and shaky. Rowan glanced back over her shoulder at Reece.

"What?" She asked. Reece pulled himself back up and pointed at the hardware store.

"That clock is set to Central City time, because that's where Mikey comes from." Reece was still shaken, but his voice gained confidence and strength as he spoke.

"Oh…That's… That's right…" Rowan said as she remembered, blinking a few times. She brought the memory into her mind's eye, showing Cell. Mikey was the man who owned the hardware store, a very strong and masculine man with short blonde hair and hairy arms. She remembered when she first came to the town and Mikey was standing outside the hardware store with a different handmade grandfather clock . He had told her about his home in Central City and how he missed it terribly, and he kept the time on Central City's time in order to make him feel at home.

Rowan had been expecting Cell to pout, or protest, instead he just chuckled and made no effort to lower his arm. She turned her attention fully back to him.

"You… You knew…" She said quietly. His broad smirk answered her theory. "This whole time, you knew that I had another hour…" Her voice turned dark and angry and her eyes narrowed as her hands balled into fists.

"But of course." Rowan's anger flared around her in a burst of brilliant blue.

"You ass, you were going to kill them and I still had an hour to get here…" She roared. Her body couldn't keep up with her new exertion, and her legs gave out under her. Her blue aura vanished as she fell to her hands and knees, panting to catch her breath, trembling. She looked up at Cell, furious, but aware that she couldn't do anything to stop him now. She didn't have the energy to stand, let alone teleport him away from Reece and the town.

"I knew you would save them." Cell said, still focusing his new attack at Rowan. But his eyes had softened as she had collapsed to the ground. "Besides, I was right. You just needed the motivation to push yourself." Rowan shook her head at his words, frustrated and angry.

"Why are you being such an ass?" She asked quietly, her voice hoarse from yelling and her heavy exertion. Cell smirked, narrowing his eyes. The blue ball of light in his hand was full of power and menace. It would be so easy for him to destroy the town and her right now.

He didn't reply, but instead glanced at the window where Reeces' wife was still recording everything from the other side of the glass. Rowan peered over her shoulder, watching as Reece also followed her gaze. Reece swallowed a lump in his throat and turned back to Rowan.

It took every ounce of will power that Rowan had to force her feet underneath her body as she shakily stood up. Her knees trembled and every single muscle screamed in agonizing protest. Her body was spent. She had nothing left to give except the fire of her spirit. She gave Reece a weak smile.

"Go, get her out of here Reece. It's not safe." She said quietly, but with as much authority as she could muster. Reece hesitated, glancing between Rowan who was clearly no match for Cell, and the imposing android with his arm outstretched, a ball of glowing blue death still held in his palm.

Cell snickered as Reece finally turned, clutching his rifle to his chest as he hurried inside. Rowan watched over her shoulder as Reece grabbed his wife by the elbow and steered her away from the window, out of sight.

Finally, Rowan sighed and she turned back to Cell. Slowly, he closed his hand, clenching his fist as the ball of light vanished. Rowan glared angrily at him, but as he folded his arms across his chest, she felt her anger give way to the pain she felt, and she let her legs give out under her in a more controlled way, awkwardly falling onto her rear as she sat in the street.

"I was right." He said smugly as he watched her closely. She was sitting with her legs spread, hunched forward, shivering from the massive energy exertion. Slowly, she lifted her face to glare back up at him.

"I don't care if you were right. You were going to hurt people, for no reason." She replied venomously. Cell chuckled and slowly stepped towards her. She stared up at him, feeling so small as he towered completely over her. He offered her his hand after a moment and with a heavy sigh, she took it. He pulled her to her feet with such ease, she felt like she was little more than a feather. He didn't let her hand go as she regained her balance on her feet. She felt his hand growing warm against hers.

Rowan was so exhausted she was like a dry sponge being dunked in water as he channelled his energy into her body. The rush of energy was exhilarating. The aches and pains vanished and the minor bruises and burns of this mornings' flying lessons healed rapidly. She began to glow blue as he continued to feed power into her until finally, she let his hand go, deciding she had enough. Cell folded his arms across his chest again and smirked as Rowan flexed, feeling the renewed power and vigour of her body. Finally she sighed and let her arms fall against her side and she smiled up at him, her aura disappearing as she brought this new energy under her control.

"Thanks, Cell." She murmured quietly. His smirk turned into a menacing grin as his wings opened and he hovered off of the ground.

"Come." He ordered. His aura erupted around him like a golden inferno as he suddenly blasted into the sky. Rowan sighed and focused. She felt the ground fall away from her as she lifted herself off of the ground. She paused for a moment, looking down as Reece and his wife ran out into the street below her.

"Rowan!" Reece yelled up at her. "Thank you!" He waved furiously and Rowan lifted her arm in acknowledgement, smiling before she let her new power rip, her aura flaring up around her, brilliant and blue. She blasted off after Cell, laughing at just how alive she felt with the renewed power.

Cell was little more than a golden speck on the horizon. She was amazed at just how far he had travelled, in only a matter of moments. She followed his golden vapour trail, testing her speed, amazed at how quickly the ground zoomed along below her. Now that she knew she could fly, it seemed easier than it had before.

She kept her energy blanket tightly wrapped around her, protecting her skin from the severe wind and icy chill of the air. She was aware the Cell had stopped and that he was waiting for her, arms folded across his chest, suspended in the air, wings opened behind him, golden aura burning brightly around him.

He still wore his smirk. Below them was the grey rocky landscape of the gorge that Rowan had passed over earlier. Her eyes followed the huge natural gash in the landscape towards the mountains far to her right. She was aware that there was a concentration of people on the other side of the mountains. But they were quite a distance away and below them, only rocks and shrubs and a scattering of stunted trees.

"I am amazed, at just how quickly you're learning." Cell said as he let his aura diminish. Rowan felt a flush of colour rise to her cheeks at his compliment. She was aware that he had taken her far from where anyone could possibly hear him, just to say so, but the fact that he had, was still quite remarkable.

"I'd thank my teacher, but his ego is big enough without me feeding it." She replied with a grin. Cell snickered at her, slowly closing the distance between them.

"I am curious, how much you could achieve with a little encouragement." He said quietly as he reached his hand out to her cheek.

"I don't want you to hurt anyone Cell." She said with a grim determination. He chuckled, ignoring her comment, and lowering his face to hers, kissing her mouth. She tried to resist him, but it was increasingly hard as he held one hand against her cheek, the other against the small of her back, pulling her against his body.

Finally he let her mouth go and tilted her face up as he kissed her neck. Her arms slid around his neck and she found herself once again, completely at his mercy.

"A few days ago, you believed you were a mere human." He said, his breath hot against her neck as he spoke. "Not two days ago, you just barely managed to absorb a tiny amount of energy and even then, you had to discharge it. Yesterday, you channelled a monstrous amount of my energy through your body without any serious repercussion and just now, you absorbed another large amount, without even having to vent any of it off." His hand on her lower back slid lower, squeezing her rear through her jeans. His other hand toyed with her hair as it slid behind her head. Rowan tried to focus, but he was making it hard for her to concentrate.

"It wasn't that much, surely." Her voice was husked and breathy as he gently bit at her neck and ear.

"Compared to me, no. But at this moment in time, I'd say your power level is on par with Piccolos'." Rowan was surprised by this and she gently pushed his face away from her neck so she could look him in the eye.

"You're joking, right?" She asked. His eyes were lidded and full of lust, his mouth partially opened, but slowly he smirked at her.

"No, I am not joking. It's why I'm curious. You don't even know what you're capable of right now." He said quietly, before he pulled her face back into a hungry kiss. She returned it, tasting his tongue before biting his bottom lip. He chuckled into her mouth, but broke their kiss, staring down at her with a broad smirk as he slowly licked his lip. It sent an electric charge down her spine, but she forced herself to focus.

"Just imagine what I'll do tomorrow." She finally managed to say. His eyes hardened for a moment and his smirk faded.

"Tomorrow is the tournament… Do you intend to try to fight me?" He asked her suddenly. Rowan hesitated under the intensity of his stare but slowly, she nodded.

"I'll do what I can to stop you." She declared quietly. Cells' eyes narrowed and he frowned.

"Surely you jest." He said flatly. Rowan pushed herself free from his embrace, hovering back a few feet, putting distance between them.

"I'm being serious, Cell." He folded his arms across his chest, staring with a disapproving frown on his face.

"What exactly, are you expecting to do against me? You might be able to fly and absorb energy, but you are no fighter, Rowan. You wouldn't last 10 seconds in a real fight." Rowan nodded slowly.

"I know. One good hit from you and I'd probably be little more than a smear on the arena floor." She said with a bitter smile. "But, as long as you pose a threat to the world and the people who live on it, then I kind of have a duty to do whatever I can to stop you. After all, your current power, is my fault." Cell frowned at her, his eyes narrow and his arms folded across his chest, he looked truly annoyed.

"As I recall it, Rowan, you gave yourself to me _willingly_ , knowing full well the consequences of your actions." Cell pointed out. Rowan grinned wryly.

"I had to do that to seal the bond between us." She said quietly. Cell studied her for a long time in silence, staring as his mind raced.

"And why was that so important? What are you not telling me, Rowan?" He finally asked. His voice was cold and icy and although he looked calm and collected, she could feel his anger seething under the surface, ready to explode. She swallowed the nervous lump in her throat, hesitating. She couldn't lie to him. He could read her far too well.

"I… Um… Well…" She stopped, unable to bring herself to tell him. He snarled at her in annoyance.

"Tell me Rowan. Aside from us sharing a mental link, what else does this bond do?" Although his voice was calm and level, it felt as if he was screaming at her. She couldn't hide it. There was no other choice. She took a deep breath, steadying herself.

"If I die, you die with me. And vica-versa."

Cells' reaction was exactly as she had been expecting. It took a second for the impact of her words to really sink in, where he just stared, furiously at her, before he suddenly exploded. His energy was powerfully potent and the blast that radiated out was strong enough to force her backwards several feet, before she was able to stabilize herself. Her hair whipped around her as he roared, utterly infuriated.

His golden aura turned into a monstrous column of power, discharging huge arches of blue power up into the sky which was beginning to turn dark. The ground below him was shaking with his terrible power, shattering the rocks and causing the debris to rise up into the sky.

" _ **WHAT?!"**_ He screamed, his face twisted with his rage. Rowan was terrified, and despite her resolve, she couldn't hide her fear, lifting her arms to protect her face from the onslaught of his power.

"This is why I didn't want to tell you!" She yelled over the roar of his inferno. For a moment, she was glad they were way up in the sky. Even now the ground was suffering as a huge crack branched out from under Cell splitting off to join the gorge. Cell was so angry he couldn't even formulate words as he vented his frustration. It was made worse as she tried to reach out to him mentally, and only received a huge wave of his anger in return, forcing her to slam up her mental defences.

"You didn't **THINK** that little **DETAIL** , was worth mentioning _**BEFORE HAND?!"**_ He roared finally. His pupils were little more than pin-pricks, and the veins in his neck stood out vividly.

"Calm down Cell, you're over reacting!" She yelled at him. He began to move towards her, slowly. Even from the distance she was at, his power was overwhelming. The heat was intense and she was terrified of one of those discharges striking at her. But despite this, she held her ground as he approached.

"You think I'm over-reacting, Rowan? I am supposed to be **PERFECT** , without weakness or flaw!" He snarled at her, stopping a few feet from where she was. He regained control over himself and his energy stopped increasing, but the immense power he was channelling now, didn't subside either.

"You think I'm a flaw?" She asked bitterly. His face darkened and his pale lavender gums showed as he snarled.

"You are a weakness. Something that can be exploited. Used against me. Such things are unacceptable." Rowan felt his words stab at her heart and the scar in her chest ached bitterly. She tried not to let his foul temper and angry words bring her down, but it was hard to not take what he said seriously.

"Can it be undone?!" He demanded. She hesitated for a moment as she considered this.

"It can be weakened over time." She finally answered quietly. "If you truly don't feel anything for me, then it will fade until it's no longer a threat to your life." His eyes narrowed until they were barely slits.

"But nothing will sever this infernal bond prior to the tournament?!"

Rowan shook her head slowly.

"No. Even if you hated me with a vengeance, it wouldn't sever the bond. As far as I am aware, only time will weaken it."

"DAMNIT ROWAN!" Cell roared suddenly, his aura flaring even greater into a swirling vortex that surrounded him. Rowan was blasted backwards by the sudden surge of power, and she struggled to keep herself hovering in the air.

"Everything comes with a price Cell!" She yelled at him when she had finally regained control over her flying, steadying herself a distance away from him again. He glared at her as blue lightning shot out of the thick black clouds that were swirling overhead, striking at the golden column that surrounded Cell. He didn't even blink, completely unfazed by the power, his eyes focused entirely on her. Rowan grit her teeth, determined not to turn tail and run from him, even though all his anger was focused on her.

"Are you planning on using it against me tomorrow?" He asked quietly. His voice was back under his control, but nothing else suggested he had calmed down. Rowan grimaced at the question, which made him snarl again.

"Only if you were planning on doing something stupid, like blowing up the Earth…" She replied hesitantly.

"You would kill yourself, in order to stop me?" His voice was like ice but his eyes were full of furious fire.

"Look at yourself Cell! Can you really say you're surprised?! Look at what you're doing right now!" Rowan pointed at the ground beneath Cell which was slowly collapsing into the giant crack as it spread out beneath him. Cell lowered his gaze down, studying the destruction beneath him.

A moment passed and as quickly as it had started, it was over. His monstrous power faded and the swirling clouds overhead slowed and then stopped, beginning to disperse. The ground stopped shaking and the sunlight began to shoot through the clouds as the sky opened up again.

Cell lifted his gaze back to hers, frowning, but he looked visibly, more under control although he was no less angry. Rowan couldn't help but let out the breath she had been holding, feeling a small amount of relief. Cell was truly, utterly terrifying when he was mad. His power was staggering. Even just channelling it was enough to cause huge amounts of destruction. She didn't want to know what he could do when he actually tried.

His intent gaze was un-nerving, especially as the silence between them grew. She felt tiny under his stare, small and insignificant. Whatever he was thinking, it was deciding her fate as well as her own but he gave away nothing on his face.

"Zenni, for your thoughts?" She asked quietly after several moments had passed. The dust had settling below them and the clouds were once again light and fluffy and scattered across the afternoon sky. The sun light that reached her was delightfully warm. Cell narrowed his eyes slightly but he sighed and slowly folded his arms across his chest.

"I was considering my options." He said in a casual voice. If he was still angry, he was now hiding it well. "There are a lot of scenarios that could play out, but it is difficult to truly know how you would react in any given situation and with so many variables, any truly good plan, would be uncertain at best." Rowan stared at him a little surprised for a moment.

"So… What does that mean now?" Cells' face broke into a smirk, something that was surprisingly comforting to Rowan.

"It means, that for now, with a great deal of trepidation, I might add, that I have decided to _'wing it'_." Cell said with a great deal of arrogance. Rowan couldn't stop herself and she laughed.

"You've decided to do nothing, basically." She laughed. Cells' eyes narrowed as his smirk grew.

"Not nothing exactly." He said with a cruel grin. "If you are to be my weakness, Rowan, then I'm sure as hell going to make sure you're also my source of strength." Rowans' smile fell suddenly and she stared with a frown at Cells' face. It was shadowed with a malicious cruelty.

"What are you saying?"

"I'll keep my word. I'll wait until after the tournament." He replied coyly. But he offered no further explanation. He didn't need to. Rowan knew exactly what he was saying. He was going to use her, repeatedly, after the tournament.

"Assuming you win, tomorrow." Cell's face twisted into a scowl at her words.

"You think I won't?" He asked with a great deal of pride. "I am stronger, faster and far more resourceful than any of them. They will not defeat me. They stand no chance."

"What about me?" She asked, bringing their entire conversation full circle again. Cell snarled and was silent for several moments, glaring at her.

Suddenly he chuckled and he closed his eyes, unfolding his arms and spreading them out to the side.

"If you can land an attack on me, just one attack, I won't stop you from facing me in the arena." He declared with a grin. Rowan narrowed her eyes at him.

"Just one attack?" He nodded and held up his index finger to emphasize the point.

"Just one. _**But**_ if you touch the ground before you can hit me, then you have to give me your word that you won't be as foolish as to dare to challenge me tomorrow." Rowan considered the deal carefully. The odds were stacked high against her. But at least now, the whole world wasn't watching and he wouldn't be pressured to do something stupid. Besides, if she couldn't hit him now, she wouldn't be able to do much tomorrow.

"Alright, agreed." Cell's face twisted into the most malicious grin she had ever seen him make.

"Good. Then, let us begin!" He roared the final word as he suddenly charged at her. But Rowan had been expecting that and she disappeared a fraction of a second before his open hand grabbed the air where she had just been. He laughed as he whirled around effortlessly blocking a sloppy punch from her. He was so much faster than she was as his free hand grabbed her wrist and threw her down with enough force to turn her into a rocket.

But she disappeared again before she hit the ground, regaining her control of flying high overhead where she had teleported to. She felt Cell probing their mental connection but she kept her mental defences up tight, blocking him from sensing her that way. But he didn't need the connection to track her movements. He could sense her energy and almost instantly, he was powering towards her again.

Rowan kept her energy blanket around her without letting it falter, allowing her to teleport almost instantly rather than having to generate it anew each time. It made her faster than Cell, buying her precious time as she teleported out of his reach. He was chuckling as he chased after her, clearly enjoying the sport.

It was taking every amount of concentration she had to focus on Cell. His movements were staggeringly fast and he was little more than a blur as he chased her across the sky. If she couldn't teleport, their game would have ended quite fast. As she teleported once again just as he reached where she had been a second earlier, he stopped and whirled around to face Rowan. She was a fair distance away from him, grimacing from the sheer concentration and focus as well as the energy drain that such frequent teleporting was costing her.

"This is actually quite fun, dear." He said with a chuckle. But his eyes narrowed as he smirked. "But, all fun things must come to an end." Cell paused for a moment and suddenly vanished.

Rowan didn't even turn to look, she knew he had teleported behind her, his hands circling her waist as he bear hugged her. He brought his mouth to her ear as he snickered, biting her ear. The sudden shock of pain sent an electrifying current down her spine, tightening her belly and causing her to lower her guard.

He suddenly blasted towards the ground, still pinning her against his chest. Rowan barely managed to bring her body back under her control, fighting against his sneaky distraction, vanishing in his arms as he slammed into the ground.

Small rocks and dust exploded into the sky, taking a moment to settle. Cell stood up, with his grin spread across his face as he looked up at Rowan hovering high in the sky, her face flushed with colour.

"That was a dirty trick." She declared a little annoyed. He only laughed, spreading his wings as he blasted back into the air towards her. She scowled and disappeared, appearing directly behind him. He used his momentum to flip forward, slapping her away with his opened wings before she could strike. In the same movement, he grabbed her ankle before she could be knocked back too far and tossed her at the ground.

The attack from his wings had stunned her for a second as she hadn't been expecting the counter attack, but it hadn't done any real damage, and she quickly righted herself. She didn't even have to teleport to save herself from hitting the ground. Cell was watching her, still suspended upside down in the air. He had obviously been expecting her to teleport, and hadn't given chase.

"Good Rowan. Your mastery over flying is quite remarkable." He observed. She scowled up at him, her blue aura erupting around her as she blasted towards him. Cell grinned and lifted his arms into a defensive posture. Rowan roared, pulling a fist back to strike him with as she charged towards him. But she disappeared just before she was in range to strike, reappearing behind him. She struck out at him, but his incredible speed saved him, narrowly missing his back by a hairs breadth as he twisted away.

He righted himself and grinned at Rowan. She charged again, this time following through with her attack, but he effortlessly deflected it with his forearm. She tried again, gritting her teeth as she tried to punch him, earning only chuckles from Cell.

"Your technique is terrible. Even if you could land one of these on me, it would do more damage to you." He pointed out smugly as he continued to effortlessly block her attacks. Rowan snarled, annoyed and tried to kick him in the side instead. He grabbed her calf easily and using her own momentum, swung her around and threw her down again. This time he did give chase, reaching out to push her down.

Rowan teleported out, and Cell stopped himself from crashing into the ground, sending a cloud of dust out as he hovered over some shrubs. He couldn't deny he was enjoying himself as he turned back up to face Rowan. She looked down at him, determined not to let him get the better of her, and she teleported again. Cells' eyes widened as she appeared, inches from the ground beneath him.

Rowan didn't need to charge energy like he did. Her ability allowed her to channel massive amounts of energy in a very short amount of time and she threw everything she had out and up at Cell through her outstretched hands.

Cell narrowly avoided the beam of blue light as it shot past him into the sky. He followed it for a moment until it disappeared harmlessly into the atmosphere and he turned back to Rowan. She was breathing heavily from the sudden exertion. He smirked.

"That was unexpected." He declared, before he suddenly lunged down at her with his feet. Rowans' eyes widened and she disappeared just as Cells' boots crashed into the ground with enough force to put a giant dent in the Earth.

Rowan was running low on power. She had hoped the energy blast would have been enough of a surprise to catch him off guard, but he had avoided it and it had cost her both her energy, and the element of surprise.

Cell appeared suddenly opposite her, smirking.

"I feel I should complement you on your ingenious plan. But since it ultimately failed, I think I won't." He said with a sneer. Rowan growled at him, clenching her fists. Beads of sweat were trickling down the side of her face and she was acutely aware that her ill-fitting clothes were little more than rags at this point, in stark contrast to Cell who looked completely unfazed by his earlier exertion in his pristine armour.

"I wonder how long you can keep up this game of cat and mouse." He mused as he folded his arms across his chest. Rowan remained silent, her mind racing to come up with a plan. He was too damn fast and too smart. Anything she tried to do, she could only really try once. A second time would be just plain stupid.

Rowan disappeared again suddenly, reappearing behind Cell. He whirled around, as she disappeared again. He dodged forwards as her attack missed him completely, but she followed through with the momentum, going over the top of him, avoiding being slapped by his wings again. He righted himself in one fluid movement and reached out to grab her, but she vanished as his hand grabbed thin air. Only she reappeared in much the same place, just slightly to the side. Cells' eyes widened, as she aimed a punch at his face.

He barely managed to whip his head back, dodging the strike. If she had aimed lower, she would have struck him, Cell realized and he quickly recovered his composure as she swung another jab, this time lower. She had realized it too. He grabbed her wrist effortlessly and yanked her towards him as he extended his other elbow, ramming it into her abdomen.

He hadn't intended to hurt her, it was a reaction that had been triggered by the near-miss. She coughed, winded by his attack, but it hadn't been a powerful jab and at most, it would leave a bruise. He let her wrist go as she suddenly swung out at him again, a renewed fire in her eyes.

"Damnit Cell, that _hurt!_ " She snarled, as she struggled to straighten herself out. Cell chuckled, covering up his own concern.

"That was only a tap." He said half-heartedly. "And you want to seriously fight me?" Rowan growled and charged at him again, swinging. He easily blocked the first attack, and lifted his other arm to block the next swing, only she disappeared as she swung. He was learning her tricks as quickly as she was and he disappeared as her fist harmlessly swung through the air where he had been. She looked around, struggling to find him. She couldn't sense his energy like he could, and with their mental link blocked, she was forced to rely on her eyes.

"Up here!" He yelled, causing her to look directly above her. He held his hands cupped at his side. Rowan watched, suddenly terrified as she saw the brilliant blue energy stutter into a solid glow inside his hands.

"Wait, Cell, don't do anything stupid! That could kill me!" She yelled, unable to hide the fear she felt.

"It could do a great deal more to the Earth if you don't catch this." He warned her as a vicious grin spread across his face.

"Please don't Cell!" She cried out. Cell only laughed as the blue light intensified.

"Catch!" He roared, thrusting his arms forward, unleashing a tremendous amount of power in one go. Rowan grit her teeth, swallowing her fear as she threw her arms forward.

The blast struck her hands with a tremendous amount of force, pushing her down towards the ground. She screamed as she forced herself to absorb the power. It was immense, blistering her hands and burning a course through her body from the intensity of such raw power.

It quickly replenished her energy stores and then began to over-load her body and she was forced to channel the excess out, lifting one of her hands up towards the sky and blasting the energy out and up above her. Cell stopped fuelling the blast, laughing as Rowan sucked in the last of the Kamehamaeha wave, her body glowing blue and crackling with power as the excess discharged out harmlessly into the sky.

Rowans' body trembled from the sudden shock of power, her hands were burned and blistered, but she had never felt more powerful. The force of the attack had pushed her until she was hovering just a few inches above the ground. She snarled, glaring up at Cell.

"You… Jackass!" She screamed. Cell laughed at her, folding his arms across his chest.

"Very good Rowan!" He yelled down at her, unaware of just how furious she was.

She didn't even think about what she did, as she suddenly disappeared, re-appearing directly in front of Cell. All the anger she felt at Cell for daring to endanger the Earth for no apparently good reason except his own amusement, fuelled her actions. She screamed, throwing her hand forward, palm open at Cell. He didn't realize just how potent her attack was, and he intended to simply deflect it away.

But her energy was concentrated and she channelled everything she had just absorbed, plus all of her reserves into this single attack. It took no time to charge, and it was savage.

Cell realized it too late, and she was right in front of him. The energy blast was only the size of her hand, but it was powerfully potent and it struck his right shoulder, ripping through armour flesh and bone until it erupted out behind him.

Rowans anger vanished as soon as she realized what she had done. Cell was staring, stunned at Rowan, his right arm was all-but amputated, hanging on by threads. Rowan's face twisted into horror.

"Oh my god, Cell…." She trailed off, watching as Cell inspected the hole in his perfect body. He grabbed his dangling arm with his left hand and ripped it free, discarding it. With a grunt, he regenerated a new limb, effectively repairing the damage dealt. Satisfied, he lifted his gaze to Rowan. The look he gave her was death. She didn't have a chance to open her mouth to say anything. His attack was sudden and savage as he backhanded her hard across the face with a brutal 'crack'.

She went flying like a bullet towards the mountain in the distance. Barely a moment passed before a trail of dust and debris was carved through a forested area at the base of the mountain several miles away from where Cell hovered.

His face was contorted into a snarl, until a sudden wave of immense pain crippled him and he doubled over, winded. The pain wasn't physical and it took him several moments for his anger-clouded brain to figure it out.

Rowan was hurting, and so was he.

He regained his composure, forcing himself upright and with gritted teeth, he blasted towards Rowan.

She had created a rather hefty trail of destruction through the forest until she had come to rest at the base of a collapsed tree. She was sprawled awkwardly, unmoving.

He landed besides her, stunned by his own actions. Guilt gripped him then as painful memories from Seru played through his mind.

Future Rowan coughing as she made a deal with a stranger on the highway as he had hidden in the tree line. The stranger seizing his chance, had uppercut her in the chest and in his fury, Seru had charged the man, killing him brutally. He had turned on the young girl that had been travelling with the stranger, but Rowan had put herself between them. In his fury, Seru had backhanded Rowan out of the way.

Although Cell knew that he hadn't killed her, the fact was, that later that day, Rowan had died. And he couldn't help but feel as if he had struck the final blow.

And now he had done it again. Rowan was not a fighter. She could deal with energy attacks, far better than the Z warriors, but physical attacks would do her serious damage. And he had struck her with a tremendous amount of force.

Her mouth was twisted into a grimace of pain, her lip and nose were oozing blood and the right side of her face was a giant dark bruise. He was afraid for a moment as he lowered himself to the ground besides her. Gingerly he slid his hand under the back of her head and lifted her forward. It was clear to him from the odd way her mouth hung that he had broken her jaw.

"Rowan?" He asked quietly, gently inspecting her body for any other apparent injuries. He was careful, finding a number of bruises and scrapes, but no apparently broken bones.

Gingerly she groaned as she stirred back into consciousness. It felt as if she had been hit by a train at full speed, and everything hurt. Her face screamed in protest as she tried to open her eyes and she grimaced, clenching her jaw which hurt even more.

She was aware of Cells' hand gently probing her jaw and she groaned in pain but she couldn't bring herself to speak and all she could do was weakly flail.

"Stop moving Rowan. Your jaw is broken." Cell ordered. Rowan grimaced, and tried to open her eyes again. Only her left eye opened, the right was sealed shut from the swelling. She glared up at Cell for a moment. His face was shadowed and dark. She tried to talk again but the pain was dizzying and she felt nauseous.

Instead she turned inwards, projecting herself towards Cell.

 _'You Jackass!'_ She yelled at him mentally. _'I can't believe you hit me like that!_ '

"To be fair, you blew off my arm." He retorted quietly with a small smile. She narrowed her eye at him.

 _'To be doubly fair, YOU TRIED TO BLOW ME UP!'_ She screamed. Cell winced at her mental scream.

"It was not my intention to hurt you. Would it make you feel better if I said I was sorry?" He asked quietly. She glared at him for a long time before she sighed nasally and sat up gingerly. She felt sick to her stomach and the pain was making her see stars. He tried to help her to her feet, but she pushed him away and slowly made her way upright on her own. She stood shakily on her feet, but levelled an angry glare at him with her one good eye.

 _'What would make me feel better right now, Cell, is if you left me the hell alone.'_ She said mentally with a great deal of venom. Cell frowned and made to move towards her, but she slammed up her mental defences and teleported away before he could touch her.

Their connection wasn't broken, but it was unpleasantly cold and for the first time in his life, he felt quite upset to be utterly alone. He vented his frustration and anger in a sudden forceful blast of energy out from his body, creating a huge crater as his power pushed the trees, rocks and ground, out and away from his body. It did little to ease his tense feelings.

He spread his wings and with an eruption of golden power, he blasted into the air, heading back towards his arena. The countdown to the tournament was no longer a matter of days, but rather a matter of hours and it was high time he made an appearance plus it would give him time to think.

Rowan appeared in the streets of Central City. The place looked worse for wear. Almost every window at street level had been shattered and there were piles of debris, over turned cars and garbage scattered throughout the street. Rowans' clothes that she had 'borrowed' from the cottage earlier in the morning, were now little more than rags, peppered with holes, singed, ripped and frayed, offering her little protection or decency. Shards of glass littered the pavement and the streets, acting as caltrops. Picking her way across the pavement became a time consuming hassle, and with a grunt at the exertion, Rowan lifted herself off of the ground and hovered down the street.

It didn't take long to find a clothing store that had been ransacked, clothes scattered through the shattered window. Rowan sighed and settled on the ground, stepping over the threshold of the display window and gingerly heading into the store. There wasn't a lot left, but she wasn't fussy at this point. She donned some fresh underwear, a rather bland bra, a pair of form fitting jeans that had a rip in the calf from the glass, and a rather plain red tank top. She inspected herself in the mirror and stared, stunned at the reflection that stared back at her.

The bruise on her face was terrible, dark, ugly and swollen. Her jaw looked awkward and out of place. Her skin was peppered with small bruises and the mark on her neck from where Cell had bit her yesterday, all stood out vividly against her skin, which was several shades lighter than it had been. Her hair was a tangled mess, but it too, looked lighter. Rowan lifted her shirt, inspecting the changes in her body.

The softness of her thighs and belly had become firmed and toned. She could even see definition in her flat stomach, which amazed her. She gingerly touched the skin, but it too was bruised from Cells' elbow.

She pulled her shirt back down and stared at herself with concern. She was beaten up, bloodied, bruised and suffering, but on the flip side, she was stronger, faster and more powerful than she had ever been before.

Her stomach rumbled loudly and she felt her anger soften. She was also starving. She hadn't eaten anything since breakfast and it was late afternoon, plus she had used a staggering amount of energy. She needed to eat something. But she couldn't with a broken jaw.

She narrowed her eyes and considered her options. She needed to visit a hospital. Get her jaw fixed up.

She sighed and thought about Bulma and Doctor Briefs. She quickly dismissed that idea. The Z warriors and their friends and family, would not be willing to help her now. With a sad thought, she dismissed Dende as well. Piccolo would be at the lookout and even though Dende had struck her as a helpful soul, Piccolo would probably try to kill her on sight.

Rowan grinned internally at that thought. If Piccolo did manage to kill her, he would unknowingly, kill Cell as well. If only Piccolo knew that, then boy, would he come after her with a vengeance.

The best place she could think of, was a good old fashioned hospital. She focused on West City, the only place she knew hadn't been evacuated and could hopefully give her the help she needed. She took a deep breath, aware she was running on reserves at this point, as she teleported. She appeared outside the Capsule Corp, the only place she could focus on with great clarity in West City. She stared at the huge yellow domed building for a moment, feeling saddened as she thought of Android 16. She was sorely tempted to visit him, but she couldn't talk so it would do her little good.

"Rowan?" Her focus shattered and she whirled around, facing Doctor Briefs and his wife, Panchy who was holding a metal capsule case. He blinked several times behind his glasses, stunned. "Dear god, what happened to you?" He asked.

"Oh dear me, that looks terribly painful!" Mrs Briefs said with horror. She quickly took Rowans' elbow and began to lead her towards the Capsule Corp. Rowan tried to protest, but the sudden dizzying wave of pain as she tried to talk, made her stumble. Doctor Briefs' quickly grabbed her other elbow, steadying her and they led her inside. Bulma was thankfully nowhere to be seen as they led her into the kitchen. They sat her in a chair.

"You sit right here Rowan and don't move. I'm going to grab my medical kit and some pain killers from upstairs." Doctor Briefs said with authority. He turned to his wife. "Can you grab some fresh towels and the portable X-Ray from the basement honey?"

"Okay dear!" She replied and the two hurried from the room. Rowan had a moment to think. She seriously considered teleporting out before they returned and following through with her original plan but if Bulma wasn't around, she didn't see the point.

"Rowan?" 16's monotone voice caught her off guard and she lifted her head to the back door that led out of the kitchen into the backyard. She grunted a reply and lifted her hand in greeting. 16's eyes were hard as he stared at her. His head had been completely repaired and there was no visible sign of an injury.

"I do not need to ask to know that Cell did that to you." Rowan gave him a small nod and gestured at her right shoulder and made the motion of an explosion. 16 shook his head.

"I do not understand what you are saying. Do not worry, it does not matter." He sat down at the table opposite Rowan. He was a huge man and he looked awkward sitting in the chair. She lifted her eye brows in what she hoped was a smile. He offered her his huge hand and after a moment of hesitation, she gave him hers.

"Did your plan work?" He asked her quietly. Rowan looked him in the eye, and slowly nodded. It was hard to remember that 16 was created by the same man that had created Cell. The contrast between the two were staggering.

Doctor Briefs returned carrying a black case which he opened on the table, revealing several vials of drugs and some packaged syringes. He quickly set about setting one of them up.

"Don't worry Rowan, this is just something to help with the pain." He said as he stabbed the needle into the vial and proceeded to suck out some of the pale yellow liquid. He went to sterilize a spot on her arm, hesitating as he noticed the multitude of burns and bruises. She nodded at him and he proceeded, jabbing the needle into her arm.

Rowan looked over at 16 who was still holding her hand. She almost cried as the pain of her face began to ease and she felt the tension in her body ease. Doctor Briefs smiled at her as he continued to rummage around. A moment later and his wife re-appeared in the kitchen with a stack of fluffy white towels and a small hand held contraption. Doctor Briefs took the contraption from the top and fiddled with it.

"Thank you dear. Could you give Bulma a call?" he asked. Rowan instantly tried to protest, grunting and waving her free hand as she shook her head. Doctor Briefs dismissed her protest and Panchy hurried from the room. Rowan tried to protest but she stilled as Doctor Briefs gently aimed the machine at her face.

"I need you to hold still please." He said quietly as the scanning device shot out several lasers at her jaw, a display appearing on the screen. He analysed it carefully with a frown.

"Well, it's not just broken, but shattered." He put the machine down and stared at her quite intently. "Did Cell do that to you?" He asked. Rowan furrowed her brows and gave him a pleading look, but he didn't budge and finally she sighed and nodded. Doctor Briefs' face went stony and he nodded back. "Right-o, well, no worries. You just sit tight for a minute." He said and he got up and left the room.

Rowan looked over at 16, a constant source of comfort. He smiled at her.

"You have changed." He observed. Rowan shrugged. Her stomach growled and she groaned. 16's smile broadened. Several minutes of awkward silence passed between them, as she could only stare at 16 who smiled back at her.

The sudden appearance of Goku and Gohan in the kitchen startled Rowan and she fell backwards, her arms windmilling as she tried not to overbalance. She failed, crashing onto the floor with a loud grunt.

"Whoops!" Goku exclaimed as Gohan helped her back up. Gohans' face was hard and he wore a scowl as he saw her face. As she stood up to face Goku, his face mimicked his sons.

"Oh wow, that looks nasty!" Goku exclaimed, almost conversationally. Rowan sighed and rolled her eyes, wishing she could talk. Goku pulled a small brown bag from inside his Gi's shirt and opened it up, pulling out a small greyish looking bean.

"Bulmas' dad called Bulma to tell us about you. Said you were injured by Cell. So, I thought you might like one of these!" Goku said with a huge smile as he flicked the bean at Rowan. She caught the bean and looked at it hard.

"It is a senzu bean, Rowan." 16 said in his monotone voice. "If you eat it, it will heal your injury." Rowan sighed and grunted, pointing at her jaw. Goku stared at her for a moment before he finally caught on.

"Oh right! Well, I guess we'll go ask Dende to help!" Goku said with a huge grin. Rowan shook her head and grunted but once again, her protest was ignored as Goku grabbed her shoulder. Gohan touched Gokus' arm as well as Goku pressed his two fingers against his forehead. Rowan felt the teleportation and it was wickedly different to her own as they appeared suddenly on top of the Kamis' Lookout.

Piccolo was the first to appear, snarling at Rowan.

"What is she doing here?!" He roared. But he stopped as he saw the damage to her face.

"Hey Piccolo! I was hoping Dende could fix Rowan up like he did last time." As if he had been summoned, Mr Popo and Dende ran outside of the temple. Rowan grunted and gave a half-hearted wave at Dende as he approached her.

"Oh my…" Mr Popo exclaimed as he looked at Rowan. Dende frowned as he looked from Piccolo to Rowan. Rowan felt tiny under the intensity of Piccolo's glare.

"You deserve worse." He snarled at her, but he turned his back, folding his arms. Rowan sighed, turning her attention to Dende as he touched her arm, looking at the burns and bruises that peppered her skin.

"What happened?" He asked. Rowan grunted in reply.

"Would you mind fixing her up again?" Goku asked with a grin.

"Waste of energy." Piccolo snarled over his shoulder. Rowan rolled her eyes. Dende nodded.

"Could you sit down please?" He asked her. She complied, easing herself to the floor as Dende very gently touched her face. The painkillers were still numbing the sensation but she could feel his warmth as it spread across her face and into her body. She sighed and closed her eyes, feeling her shattered bones miraculously stitch back together and the swelling around her eye ease. Moments passed as Dende's magical touch healed all her various bruises cuts and burns.

"I have done what I can, but for some reason, that will not heal." Dende said. Rowan opened her eyes, following what Dende was pointing at. Her face flushed with colour as she realized he was pointing at the strange bite mark that Cell had given her yesterday.

"I… Uh, yeah. Thank you Dende." She said, her voice a little hoarse, but she felt amazing. Dende beamed up at her.

"So, what happened?" Goku asked chirpily. Rowan looked up him with a small frown.

"Cell lost his temper." She replied a little hesitantly.

"That's not really surprising." Piccolo said bitterly.

"Well, to be entirely fair, I did kind of blow his arm off." Rowan said a little sheepishly. Piccolo whirled around, glaring at her.

"You did _what?"_ He demanded. Goku grinned.

"Really?! That's awesome!" Rowan remained seated in front of Dende, looking around at their faces, all of them focused on her.

"I… Um… Well it's a bit of a long story, but he used the kami umm ka… may…."

"Kamehameha?" Goku asked. Rowan nodded.

"Yeah that. He shot that at me and I deflected it back at him, which took off his arm. He got kind of mad and hit me." She said, deliberately keeping it short. She didn't want to tell them the whole story.

"That's kind of handy. That you can deflect his power back at him." Goku said with a smile. Rowan shrugged and looked down at the floor.

Her stomach rumbled loudly and Goku started to laugh.

"Would you like something to eat, Rowan?" Mr Popo asked quietly. Rowan grinned up at him.

"Would you mind? I'm starving." Mr Popo laughed and nodded. Dende helped her to her feet and she dusted herself off, feeling considerably better.

"Perhaps you would like to freshen up while Mr Popo prepares some food?" Dende asked, noting the dried blood and dirt on her face.

"I would love that."

An hour later and Rowan was feeling infinitely better. She had showered and washed her hair. She had tied it back after she had given it a thorough combing and then she had eaten a huge amount of food. More than she had ever eaten before in her life. But Mr Popo had been expecting that and had prepared several plates piled high with delectable treats.

Goku and Gohan had departed while she had showered and as she had dressed herself, she realized she still had the senzu bean they had given her earlier. She slipped that into her jeans pocket, just in case.

The sun was setting when she finally headed out of the temple with Dende and Mr Popo.

"I am really grateful for everything you've done for me." She said with a smile. Piccolo was standing in his usual spot on the edge of lookout again.

"You are most welcome." Mr Popo said with a grin.

"Are you going back to Cell?" Dende asked. Rowan grimaced at the question.

"I guess. The tournament is tomorrow. Tonight might be the last time I get to see him." She said sadly. Piccolo glared at her over his shoulder.

"You wouldn't do what I think you're going to?" He asked in a venomous voice. She grinned at him wryly.

"I have no intention of giving him any more power than he already has. Besides, he promised Goku." Piccolo narrowed his eyes at her, scowling.

"You disgust me." He snarled.

"And I love you too." She retorted sarcastically. Dende smiled up at her.

"But he hit you." Dende pointed out. Rowan shrugged.

"Yeah, but I don't think he meant to hurt me. It was more of a re-action." She was surprised that she was defending his actions, but she didn't stop herself.

"Well… I guess it's your choice." Dende conceded after a moment.

"Thank you Dende." He nodded.

"Look after yourself, please." Rowan nodded and leaned down to hug him gently before she stood up to her full height and with a sigh, she vanished.

Rowan didn't go back to Cell straight away. She appeared inside the shopping mall where Cell and her had shared their intimacy inside the café upstairs. She looked up towards the café wistfully, but she turned and headed across the plaza towards a pharmacy. It had been ransacked in a hurry. Drug containers and pill packets littered the floor. All of the shelves had been tipped over and stuff was everywhere, but even through the mess, she headed to where the bathroom supplies were kept and found a packet of capsule corp condoms. She opened it, pocketing a few of the foils in her jeans. She was still pissed at Cell for hitting her, but her anger had subsided and she was no fool.

Even now, despite her anger and annoyance, she could feel the pull towards him, and she knew she would go back to him.

She left the pharmacy and headed deeper into the mall, looking around at all the destruction the looters had left behind. Cell might be more capable of mass destruction, but what people had done in their panic and in their greed, was far more devastating.

Rowan found a shoe shop, ransacked and trashed. There were several shoes to choose from, but they were scattered around the store. Finding a matching pair was difficult. But finally, she found a pair of serviceable boots and some socks which she happily slipped on.

 _'Rowan…'_ Rowans' eyes widened as Cell probed at their mental connection. She hesitated for a moment before she accepted his touch.

 _'Cell.'_ She replied curtly. She could feel his mental turmoil but he didn't say anything for a long time. Finally she turned her attention back to her boot, lacing it up tightly before she headed out of the shoe shop.

She stopped suddenly as she heard voices. Laughing and yelling coming from the entrance plaza and heading in her direction. She snarled and looked around.

 _'Looters.'_ Cell said angrily.

 _'Get out of my head Cell.'_ She responded as she hurried into the closest shop, a small men's' clothing boutique. She hid behind the counter, sitting on the floor with her back against the cupboards, hidden from sight.

 _'They are no threat to you now Rowan. You are far more powerful than they are. Taking them out would be quite easy…'_ He trailed off as she sent a wave of annoyance at him. She could hear them approaching and she dared a glance around the cupboards, peering out the window. There were 3 men and 2 women, all in their mid to late 20s', carrying backpacks and an assortment of weapons, from make-shift clubs to a semi-automatic rifle. The rifle worried Rowan and she ducked back around the cupboard, hiding.

 _'I don't thrive on confrontation as you do Cell. I would prefer to avoid hurting people where I can.'_ She said rather angrily. She could hear the group stop, laughing loudly outside the jewellery shop opposite the men's' boutique.

"Hey, you reckon there's anything left?"

"Can't hurt to look!" Rowan heard them enter the shop and start smashing and rifling through the jewellery store. Rowan grimaced at the wanton destruction but she didn't feel threatened and remained where she was.

 _'I know Rowan. Your compassion is actually something I admire.'_ Cell said quietly. Rowans' eyes widened and she couldn't hide the surprise she felt.

 _'I always assumed you thought me weak because I cared about others.'_ She replied, feeling small. She felt him sigh.

 _'No. Your conviction in what you believe to be right, and your dedication to helping other people… It's an admirable quality, not a weakness. Even if I don't share it, I can still appreciate it. Plus, it's what makes you strong. You are actually willing to fight me, because you truly believe it is the right thing to do, in order to save people, like those looters. Though you know it is a foolish thing to do, you will still do it.'_

 _'That is probably the nicest way to call someone an idiot, that I have ever heard.'_ Rowan said with a mental laugh. She heard the looters leaving the jewellery store, heard their footsteps crunching over the glass as they talked and laughed loudly. They were heading away from her, further down the mall, stopping a few shops down to ransack anything else they could find. Rowan remained where she was, waiting.

 _'You are not an idiot, Rowan. Foolish, perhaps, but not an idiot. I have no doubts about your mental aptitude.'_ Cell said rather proudly. She focused on their connection, and she could see his arena around him. It was dark there, clouds threatening to break into a storm again. He wasn't fazed by the chilled air.

 _'Thanks. But I'm still mad at you for hitting me.'_ She said a little bluntly.

 _'Your counter attack, blasted my arm off.'_ He replied, equally bluntly.

 _'And you tried to kill me with that blast of yours, which you KNEW would risk the Earth!'_ She yelled at him. Cell was silent for a moment after this.

 _' Rowan, I am truly sorry for hurting you.'_ He said quietly, his voice full of sincerity. Rowan sighed and closed her eyes, leaning her back against the cupboard.

 _'I know you're sorry, Cell. I forgive you for attacking me.'_ She finally said after a while.

' _You have a remarkable gift of making me feel quite humble, Rowan.'_ Cell said with a small grin.

 _'It's hard to imagine you being humble._ ' She replied with a snort. Cell was silent for a moment, as if considering things.

 _'I know who and what I am. I am fully aware of what I was created for and why. I was given the remarkable collective abilities of the greatest warriors in the universe, and a rather remarkable set of genetic enhancements that give me absolute supremacy in almost any situation. On top of that, I am an incredibly intelligent, very resourceful and adaptable being who can adjust to counter any problem that might present its self. Not to mention my unfathomable power and absolute control over that energy, makes me an unstoppable destructive force.'_

 _'Is there a reason for this monologue?'_ Rowan asked rather annoyed.

 _'You do know how much I hate to be interrupted, Rowan.'_ Cell replied, equally annoyed. Rowan grinned.

' _Too bad you aren't here to shut me up.'_ She said coyly. She felt the rush of temptation from Cell as he sorely considered teleporting to her, and she admired his control as he remained at his arena.

 _'My point… Before you rather rudely interrupted me, is that, despite being, the single greatest warrior in the universe, I feel as if at times, I am inferior to you.'_ Rowan sat in completely stunned silence as his words sunk in.

 _'Okay, I'll admit, I was NOT expecting that from you…. Ever.'_ Rowan finally managed. She heard him chuckling at her reaction.

 _'I wasn't expecting to say it. Ever.'_ Rowan was brought back to the shopping mall as the looters smashed something in the distance, howling with laughter as something large gave way. But they had moved further away from her hiding spot.

 _'Now, will you please come back to me?'_ Cell asked her seriously, despite his grin. Rowan sighed.

 _'I want you answer a question for me first.'_ She said pointedly.

 _'And your question is?'_ Rowan hesitated for a moment.

 _'Do you still think I am your weakness?'_ She could feel him withdraw slightly as he turned inwards, considering his answer.

 _'This is a very difficult question to answer.'_ He finally said. Rowan nodded her understanding.

 _'Don't worry about it then.'_ She said a little disappointed. She felt his focus return and she could almost see the intensity of his eyes.

 _'To answer your question Yes and No. Yes, not just because you are a huge liability in battle, but because you have such a huge amount of control over me. You have changed me and I would do almost anything for you, as much as it pains me to admit this. And No, because ultimately, you are also my greatest strength, and again, not just because of the power you give me, but also because you make me think, you make me consider things in an entirely different way which opens up new possibilities. Additionally, you give me something to fight for.'_ Rowan stared down at her hands as she considered everything he had said. She knew that telling her that had cost his pride dearly, which made her appreciate it all the more.

 _'Does my answer satisfy you?'_ He asked after the silence had stretched on for quite a while.

 _'How can I give you something to fight for, if you know I plan to stand against you in the arena?_ '

 _'I must admit, that hearing you say that you will stand against me, rather than at my side, is quite a blow. But it does not change my outlook.'_ Cell said rather bluntly. Rowan sighed.

 _'It also fails to answer my question.'_ Rowan pointed out.

 _'I would still fight to protect you Rowan. You are my mate, and even if you are truly set to stand against me tomorrow, so be it. I still won't hurt you.'_

 _'I feel there should be an 'again' at the end of that sentence.'_ Rowan added pointedly, but she was smiling, projecting her playfulness at Cell. She felt Cell's irritation but it was half hearted at best.

 _'I have answered your questions.'_ He said after a moment. Rowan could feel his impatience and she grinned.

 _'As beautiful as your arena is, it isn't really inviting with that weather. Plus I know how you get when you have an audience.'_ Rowan pointed out. She felt a small wave of annoyance emanate from Cell.

 _'What do I have to do to have you tonight?'_ He asked bitterly. She chuckled at him, feeling like he was a child, being denied some candy.

 _'I was merely suggesting that we return to where we began this day.'_ Cells' annoyance vanished and he smirked.

 _'I assume you mean the dingy little cabin we spent the night in?'_ He asked flatly.

 _'Can you think of somewhere better?'_

 _'At this point in time, I am half tempted to just take you in the clothes shop. The cabin will do fine.'_ Rowan couldn't hide the giggle at the tone in his voice. She felt him focus on the cabin as he teleported. She noted that it was quite difficult for him to teleport, and it didn't come as easy to him as it did to her.

' _Will you be joining me?'_ He enquired after a moment, snapping her out of her thoughts. She could see him sliding his helmet off, placing it on the small table at the side of the room. Rowan grinned and gently severed their mental connection.

She stood up, and casually dusted her jeans. She turned towards the door, and froze.

"Hello Rowan." Quill said quietly with a huge amount of malice in his voice. Rowan stared at him, stunned. His robe was gone, replaced with a hi-tech form-fitting suit, complete with gadgets on his wrist and forehead.

"Quill?" He seemed so much more menacing in the dim light. "What are you doing here?" She asked. He suddenly levelled a small remote control looking thing at her and fired a beam of green light at her.

Rowan had never been tazered but she imagined it felt something like this. Her entire body fell into spasms as pain flooded her system paralysing her and causing her to collapse to the floor in a sprawling heap. The beam stopped and she struggled to catch her breath as Quill loomed over her.

"I have to admit Rowan, things couldn't have worked out better! Because of you and your sheer ignorance, the Tecktarian race now has in its possession, the greatest source of power in the entire universe. And, because of you, he's completely at our mercy." Rowan tried to scream but her body was completely unresponsive, and she realized she was trapped inside her own head. She turned inwards, trying to scream a warning at Cell, but she received no response from him. The connection had gone dark.

"Oh don't worry about big green. He'll be fine. We just knocked him out. Makes him easier to manage. Apparently, he was expecting someone else to teleport into the room, instead of the small army of Tecktarians with our little neutralizers." Quill tapped the device on his forehead with a cruel grin. "I can see everything and might I add, he was very surprised."

Rowan struggled desperately trying to regain control over her body. She screamed internally out of desperation as Quill knelt down beside her, brushing the hair from her face.

"I suppose I should tell you that everything I told you about our race was basically a lie. I fed you untruths when I dumped all my so called 'memories' in your brain. The only real truth was the information about your abilities and the bond, but even then, some parts I chose to leave out. Everything else was a lie. Your mother, for example, was sent to Earth deliberately to breed with a human." Rowan gave him a questioning look as her body tensed from the spasms. Quill laughed, but proceeded to continue with his story.

"Earth is quite a remarkable place. It has some kind of unknown power to it. Look at the Sayains for example. One super Sayain in the history of the entire race, but they come to Earth and right now, every single Sayain that is on Earth is a damned super Sayain. The human-Sayain hybrids are stronger than their parents. Even the Namekians on Earth are far superior to the ones on Namek. You can see why we were curious." Quill sneered down at Rowan, and all she could do was stare back, horrified.

"So, naturally, we decided to see if it would work for our race too. Your mother, Thornya, was the most gifted of all of us. She could do things that most of us can't. Like teleport for instance. Only a handful of Tecktarians can master that. And the energy absorption. That's a rare gift too. Combined together, and that's exceedingly rare. Something that seems to only run in our family. But anyway, we sent her off to Earth to breed with a human. And lo and behold, you were produced. And look at you! You've only known for a couple of days what you can do, and you've mastered it all. Plus, now you can fly as well. You've shown us all up, as it were."

"Basically, you've become the Tecktarian Prodigy which is what we always wanted. What we didn't want however, was for your mother to sever all contact with us and hide your existence from us, since apparently she decided her sentimental attachment to you and her dead beat mate were more important than the future of her entire race. That seems like a trait that's common on Earth as well."

"In all honesty, if your father hadn't contacted us, we never would have discovered you. But imagine our surprise, when not only did we find that you were in fact, alive and well, but lo and behold, you had attracted the attention of an insanely powerful being. Originally the plan was to bond you with one of the Sayains and consequently drain them, but oh no, you found someone even stronger than that and more importantly, you bonded with him."

Rowan glared up at him as the spasms eased, but she was still paralysed. He chuckled down at her.

"Oh don't look at me like that. It's business! Your mates' energy will power our planets' resources for years! It's insane actually, to know that someone that powerful exists. But don't worry, we've been doing this for years. Draining the energy from alien species to power our own, it makes sense. Just imagine a never-ending supply of rich, non-polluting power that does not cripple our society or endanger our lives. I say our lives, but really I just mean the Tecktarians because those we drain and their sacrificial mates die afterwards. This does make me a little sad since we are going to lose you and your potential could be staggering. But I'd say it's worth it. You and your mate have made me a very, very rich man and I thank you for that."

Quill looked down at the controller in his hand and fiddled with the settings for a moment, looking almost bored as he did so. He aimed it back at Rowan suddenly and grinned.

"Good night Rowan." He said quietly before a blast of green energy struck her again. The pain was intense as it shocked her system, but it ended quickly as she slipped into unconsciousness.

 **A/N: Please no flipping tables Kat. 3**

 **Sorry for the long delay. I did hit a small writer's block and turned to drawing instead for a while. But it seems to have broken and yay, I can finally get stuck back into this story.**

 **I hope you're enjoying it.**


	11. XI

Rowan woke screaming. Her body contorted in response to the unbelievable pain as it felt as if she was being roasted alive. Her scream was drowned out by the infernal roar that was thundering through her skull, threatening to render her deaf. She couldn't open her eyes, as the light was blinding her, even with them scrunched shut.

She tried to move, to get away from the heat but she was bound tightly, held against a flat surface. The sheer intensity of pain was too overwhelming and she slipped back into blessed unconsciousness.

Quill had been watching the computer screens when he had heard her scream. He whirled around, watching as she writhed and struggled against her restraints briefly before she fell still again. He narrowed his eyes as the dozens of Tecktarian technicians frantically milled around. This was the most delicate point of the entire operation, and everything had to run smoothly for the next 20 minutes. So much was at risk.

He stared at Rowan, bound to a silver table inside a tiny, re-enforced glass room at the far side of the huge room they were in. Tubes ran from her wrists and ankles and thick metal strips restrained her tightly. At the top of the domed room was a narrow tubular vent that crackled wildly with blue energy. The entire room looked as if it contained a brilliant golden inferno that was pouring out of her body and up into the vent.

"Sir, at our present rate, the subject will be drained in approximately 22 minutes." One of the younger technicians said as he stopped just short of Quill. Quill turned to face him, scowling.

"That's not fast enough. Increase the output. Open a fourth stream if you have to." The technician swallowed, obviously nervous at such instructions.

"Sir… I fear that much energy is too much strain for the sacrificial mate. We risk…" Quill snarled and backhanded the technician hard across the jaw.

"Don't you dare to lecture me, you worthless waste of space! Just do as you're told!" Quill roared, looming over the younger man who had sprawled on the floor. "Besides, she is far stronger than any other sacrificial mate we have ever utilized before. She can take the strain." The man nodded, nervous and scrambled to his feet, hurrying away from Quill. Others had stopped what they were doing to stare at him and Quill felt his anger flare.

So much was at risk. Cell was unlike anyone they had ever captured before. His regenerative capabilities and his natural immunity and resistance to drugs had made him especially difficult to subdue. It had been Quills' ingenuity that had finally rendered the android paralysed. He just counted himself fortunate, that the surprise attack with the dozen paralysing laser blasts had been enough to stun Cell for long enough to get him restrained. If Cell had been prepared for their attack, Quill doubted the weapons would have been effective.

Quill turned away from the technicians and Rowans' room, placing his hands behind his back. He stepped closer to the raised platform where a huge glass cylinder held his true prize.

Cell was suspended in the air, his arms held out to the sides with thick cables. His body was armoured, something which had proven to be too difficult to penetrate without the use of high-powered lasers which would have taken too much time to utilize, but thankfully, he had done them the service of removing his helmet before he had been ambushed. Cells' head hung forward against his chest, his rich black hair hanging around his face. Inserted in to the back of his neck was a thick metal plate that had severed his spinal cord.

On any other creature, this would have proven to be fatal, but even now, Cells' body was trying to repair itself. The metal plate had almost been ejected in the first few minutes, but a simple strap had overcome that problem, anchoring the plate in place. Quill had never been forced to take such drastic measures to immobilize a person before and he knew the kind of power that Cell possessed. Quill risked much with this endeavour. So much. He had even taken Cell to the space station rather than directly to the Tecktarian planet, just in case.

He glanced at the dials and the screens as they raced with numbers, and couldn't help but smile. So much risk, but the prize, was definitely worth it. With this much energy, with this much power, the Tecktarian Empire would be fuelled for decades which meant that he had earned a monstrous commission and had become one of the richest Tecktarians in history, almost overnight. He just needed to see this to completion, and then he would be free to finally live a life of luxury.

Quills' eyes lingered on the tubes that fed into Cells' wrists and ankles. He considered having them removed to speed the process up. They were feeding him Rowans' blood directly, increasing his power as they drained it. It was a smart thing, maximising the power obtained from a single target, but with Cell, perhaps it was too much.

"Status update?" Quill called out over his shoulder.

"73 levels have been fully charged and the overflow is being directed into the smaller stations. Not long until they too reach capacity." One of the female technicians called out in a very matter-of-fact voice. Quill frowned.

"How much energy does he still have?" Quill asked loudly, without taking his eyes off of the android.

"At best estimation, approximately 29%." Someone else replied. Quill narrowed his eyes.

"It seems we will be forced to vent excess for the first time in decades." Quill said with a frown. There was a murmur of voices behind him as his declaration.

"Can't we keep these subjects for future use?" The woman asked cautiously. Quill turned to face her with a grimace. His excitement over Cell was making his antennae overly sensitive, and they quivered at the female technicians' faint scent. He pushes such thoughts from his mind. Now was no time to allow his focus to slip.

"No. We need to drain him and then kill him, as quickly as we can. He has the ability to annihilate our entire species in a heartbeat. We cannot allow that risk to linger. As potent as his energy is, it is also too dangerous."

"But sir, he can't even move. He's completely at our mercy." An older technician said, his eyes lingering on the plate that was severing Cells' spine. Quill snarled.

"Do not make such assumptions with this one." He declared angrily. "Cell is no mere man. And I am no fool."

As if to make a point, a huge arch of blue lightning struck out from Cells' body, striking against the tube that surrounded him with a brilliant flash that burned the retinas of anyone who was looking at him.

Quill turned back to face him, laughing as several of the technicians winced and backed away. He would have loved to have drained directly from Cell, but his power was unmanageable, potent and far too destructive. They had been forced to drain Cell through Rowan, a method that was far safer but slower. It was the method they usually used, as it converted the power into something familiar and easy to manage to the Tecktarians.

Ultimately, Quills' prize and all his new found wealth, had hinged entirely on his ability to manipulate Rowan into sealing the Tecktarian bond with Cell. Quill had painted it as being a romantic thing, something that would give them unity and also to give her the impression that she could hold some form of leash over him to save her world. He had implied that it was common place for Tecktarians to create such a bond, whereas the truth couldn't be more different. Bonding was a terrifying thing, something only hopeless romantics and fools did, which rarely ever ended well.

That and of course, the sacrificial lambs that were bred with the sole purpose of finding a powerful partner to bond to, in order to drain them entirely of energy. Weaker, more manageable people would be kept and allowed to replenish before being drained again, until eventually the sacrificial mate died from the strain of power and the inevitable heart break.

Rowan had been a god-send. A pure stroke of luck, one that Quill had jumped at the chance to cash-in on. He held a moment of regret as he considered just how remarkable she herself was, but it passed quickly. Now that the Tecktarians had her genetics, they could clone her, or even duplicate the experiment back on Earth, under more controlled circumstances. Quill allowed his mind to indulge in thoughts of his future and everything he had been planning. Just a few more minutes.

Rowan stirred again, gritting her teeth against the burning inferno in her body. Something had woken her, and it took her a minute to gather her senses, fighting against the pain, before she realized what it was. She turned herself inwards, appearing inside her mental house.

Cell was there, and for the first time she could remember, he looked truly _afraid_.

"Rowan!" He exclaimed as she gathered her collective thoughts. Her mental house was trembling and the shelves had fallen over, dislodging their contents onto the floor. Pictures had fallen or tilted and there were cracks in the walls.

"Rowan, what's going on?" He asked her quietly, but unable to hide the anger and fear he was feeling. Rowan hesitated for a moment as she fully recalled everything that had happened. The realization that they had been kidnapped by Quill made her both horribly ashamed and bitterly angry.

"Cell, I am so sorry. This is all my fault." Cell crossed the space between them in one long stride, taking her firmly by the shoulders and brining his face down to hers. His jaw was tense and hard lines edged his eyes.

"I need you to tell me everything you can." He said firmly, but without sounding cruel. Rowan nodded and quickly explained about how she had been ambushed by Quill in the shopping mall and how he had subdued her and told her about his plan to use Cell as a power source. She told him about how Quill had manipulated her in order to use her to get to him. By the time she had finished, tears had sprung from her eyes, but she held her composure, setting her shoulders firm in resolution.

"I see." Cell finally said after she had finished. He let her go and stood up, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes as he thought.

"Cell, I'm trapped. My body feels like it's on fire." He opened his eyes, looking down at her with a small frown.

"I can't help you Rowan. They've managed to paralyse my body while they drain my energy. I've been trying, but I can't seem to move and I am unable to determine why." His voice was quiet as he spoke, but it was hard and his eyes were cold. Rowan stared at him, stunned.

"Cell…" She moved her hand towards his face, but he narrowed his eyes, and reluctantly, she let her hand fall.

"Rowan… I… I honestly don't know what to do." Cell said as he closed his eyes. It was hard for him to admit that he couldn't control a situation, and she knew how much this was costing him. It made her realize just how dire things were.

"Wait here Cell. I'm going to try to look around." He nodded, turning to her mental screen as Rowan focused back on her body. The pain had been numbed as she had focused on Cell, but now it washed back over her again, threatening to pull her back into unconsciousness, but she fought against it.

It took several attempts for her to finally manage to open her eyes. It was blindingly bright, and she rolled her head to the side, gritting her teeth. Her vision was blurred and tinted golden, but she could see. Slowly it became clear. She was inside a small domed glass room which was at the far side of a monstrous room that looked like a control room for a laboratory or a space ship. Benches of monitors and keyboards lined the centre of the room with massive monitors on the walls.

On the opposite side of the room was the huge circular tube that held Cell, suspended in a crucifixion pose as blue energy crackled around him inside the tube.

 _'They are draining me through_ _ **you**_.' Cell said angrily into her head. Rowan grit her teeth and looked down at herself. Her arms, feet and waist were bound with thick metal bands, trapping her against the table. The entire room was aflame with golden power crackling with blue energy as it was sucked up through the vent in the top of the dome. She snarled and tried to teleport, but it was being blocked and she couldn't bring the energy blanket to bear, watching as it fell apart before she could even throw it around her.

 _'How are they draining you through me?!'_ She asked, hysterically. _'I'm not controlling it…'_ She turned inwards again, appearing back inside her head. Cell was staring at her intently with a small frown on his face.

Rowan looked downwards, staring at the blue orb in her chest. It was glowing, albeit dimly and it was growing dimmer, even as she watched it. She felt her heart skip a beat as she looked up at Cell.

"You're dying…" He gave her a small nod.

"We don't have a lot of time." He said quietly. Rowan bit her lip and frowned as she looked back down at the sphere. She touched it, and felt a monstrous surge of power which almost crippled her, causing her to fall to her knees, gasping. Cell only narrowed his eyes, watching her.

"Oh god, what are they doing?!" She gasped, waiting for the stun effect to pass. Slowly she managed to crawl back to her feet and grimaced. Whatever was happening, she didn't understand it, and trying to interrupt it that way would be impossible.

"Do you have any ideas Rowan? Anything at all?" Cell asked her. Rowan looked around and frowned. Cell couldn't move his body. In sheer desperation, he had come to her for help. But what could she do? She was tied to a table, with his power almost burning her alive. She couldn't deal with the pain enough to focus on actually doing anything constructive.

She wasn't a warrior who had been built to withstand pain while focusing on what needed to be done.

But Cell was.

The idea was absolutely ludicrous, but they were desperate. She didn't give it time to sink in before she turned to him with a small grin.

"I think… I have an idea…"

Alarms screamed suddenly and Quill whirled around to face Cell. But he wasn't moving. His body was still hanging limply suspended from the tube, the plate in his spine still intact.

"Sir!" He whirled back around to face the army of technicians, most of who were staring at the domed room that held Rowan. She was awake, pulling against the restraints, her teeth bared in a savage snarl.

"Quick, neutralize her! Knock her out!" Quill roared. The technicians buzzed into action, frantically tapping away on the keyboards. Green lasers shot out at her from small turrets that were installed in the room, but they were too late. Rowan's limbs shattered the metal bindings as she flipped over backwards, landing smoothly on her feet. Instantly she was in motion, leaping out of the way of the lasers as they struggled to track her movements.

With one fluid motion she leaped at the first turret, swiping at it with her hand, causing it to shatter. Within seconds the remaining turrets followed suit. She landed smoothly on the table, crouched low, her hair whipping wildly around her as the energy continued to pour from her body, until she reached around, quickly ripping out the wires and cords that had peppered her skin. The golden inferno died down, the link severed.

Slowly she lifted her gaze, locking her eyes with Quills, and then she smirked.

"No!" Quill roared. "Impossible!" He knew that look and it wasn't Rowans. Quill acted fast, turning around to Cell.

It was the strangest thing for Rowan to be actively aware of her body, but not be the one controlling it. She watched as Cell focused her power into single tiny impact points, shattering the re-enforced glass with a single punch. He dodged the hand held lasers from the technicians, taking the closest out with a quick elbow to the face before leaping over a console, kicking another in the jaw on the way through and landing next to a third, which he quickly disabled with a palm strike to the face. Other technicians turned and fled from the room. Some cowered against the consoles.

Cell turned and focused on Quill, quickly charging after him as Quills' long fingers danced across the console in front of Cells' suspended body.

Rowans' body was blasted to the side before Cell could reach Quill, struck in the side with a projectile weapon as security forces began to pour into the room.

Rowan gasped inside her own head. She could feel everything, sharing her senses with Cell. Cell ignored the pain. He flipped back to his feet, dodging the next few shots. Rowan grit her teeth internally, and focused. She fed him her energy, connecting him to her personal store.

It was amazing to watch Cell as he effortlessly moved with absolute grace as he fought. Her body was so different to his, but he had adapted quickly, adjusting to the lighter and smaller frame, taking advantage of it. Unfortunately, he disregarded the pain and her injury, not realizing just how severe it was to someone who couldn't regenerate.

He accepted the link to her energy without even thinking about it, throwing his hand forward as he shot an absolutely immense blast of power at the guards without needing to charge the attack. He couldn't hide the stunned expression from his face inside her head as the blast of power carved a huge hole through room after room through the heart of the space station.

 _"Well that explains how you managed to blow off my arm."_ He said internally. Rowan grimaced and remained silent, not wanting to distract his attention away from what needed to be done. But she was fully aware of the fact that he was aggravating the hole in her side. Cell focused fired smaller, more controlled blasts at the remaining security forces, incinerating them brutally.

"Hey Cell!" Cell turned to look at Quill through Rowans' eyes. Quill grinned at him suddenly, his hand over a large blue button. Cell snarled at Quill, and with staggering speed, lunged at the small, white haired man. Quill slammed his hand against the button, just as Cell reached him.

A grid of lasers erupted to life inside the tube that held Cells' body, slicing him into tiny cubed pieces almost instantly. Rowans' eyes widened in horror as Cell vanished from inside her head and her body collapsed to her knees at Quills' feet. She screamed as she regained control over her own body, clutching at her chest. The pain she had felt in her side was nothing, absolutely nothing, compared to the desperate ache that exploded in her chest, spreading out from her heart and shooting into the rest of her body.

Quill laughed hysterically as the pieces of diced Cell collapsed to the bottom of the tube, which opened up a moment later, sucking them out.

Within seconds, the only sign that Cell had even been there, was the purple smears against the glass.

The pain that blossomed in Rowans' chest was intense and utterly overwhelming, feeling as if her heart was being ripped into pieces. She gasped, struggling just to get air into her lungs.

"I win Rowan! We've taken all your mates' power for our own! And I still get the delightful joy of watching you die from the severed bond!" Quill laughed as he kicked Rowan hard, causing her to sprawl over backwards. She cried out loudly, her voice hoarse. She lay where she fell, her eyes scrunched shut and her lungs screaming as she struggled to get breath into her body.

Slowly, the pain began to ease and she managed to get a blessed lung full of air. Quill stopped laughing and glared down at her as she began to pant heavily, her face easing.

"Why are you not dead?!" He demanded and kicked her again. Rowan screamed out as his boot connected with the blast wound in her side and she rolled across the floor. But the pain in her chest was easing and its grip over her mind was giving her control back over her body. Slowly she forced herself to her feet, teeth grit to counter the physical pain that was so little, compared to the heart ache she had just suffered.

"What's wrong Quill?" She asked venomously as she slowly turned to face him, grinning, even though she was still panting.

"Impossible! Even he couldn't survive being diced into pieces and ejected into space!" Quill roared his face twisted into one of absolute horror. Rowan gave herself a precious second to probe her connection with Cell. The blue sphere in her chest was glowing brilliantly and it was potently powerful.

Cells' body was a work of absolute genius. His core cells inside of his head had survived undamaged. He didn't have the chance to appreciate this until after he had begun to regrow, sprouting new limbs and eventually a new head. It took several seconds for everything to come back to him in full, and for him to do a full analysis of his body. It felt good to have his own body back, not that controlling Rowan's hadn't been an interesting and insightful experience, but now, he had been completely restored and with even more power than he had before, thanks not just to his near-death experience and the Sayain DNA that coursed through his blood, but for the foolish idiots who had been pumping him full of Rowans' blood. He felt invigorated, renewed and very pissed off.

Cell clenched his fists and turned towards the absolutely enormous space station that he had been ejected out of. It was about the size of a City and made entirely out of artificial materials and currently in orbit around an enormous purple gas giant with several smaller habitable moons.

It took all of his self-control to stop himself from simply blowing up the space station, and to instead think. His mind raced as he considered several options, but one thing stood out as being quite important, at least to him.

Rowan was always getting into trouble. She needed a protector. One who would be there, even when he himself, was not.

Cell snarled as he focused inwards, on his body. He was doing something he knew he could do, but had never tried before. It cost a huge amount of energy, but in the grand scheme of things, was nothing he could not afford easily. He grit his teeth, snarling as his wings opened up as wide as they could. His tiny tail stub flared open into a huge funnel as he spat out a tiny replica of himself.

The small blue-armoured clone of Cell took a moment to adjust to its rather brutal and sudden birth, but it possessed all of Cells' knowledge and quickly gained its composure. They were still in space so Cell couldn't tell the miniature clone what to do verbally.

But he didn't need to.

His single purpose and drive had been imposed upon the little clone already and as if to acknowledge this, the little clone grinned up at Cell as his golden aura erupted into life and he took off towards the space station. Cells' eyes narrowed as he lifted his hands out in front of him. Blue lightning crackled around his hands as his wrists came together. There was no sound. Only silence as Cells' eyes narrowed, focused intently.

All of his power, all of his energy, all of his rage and his sheer frustration at having been made a fool of was channelled into this attack as he cupped his hands to his side. It was far more than was needed but Cell felt that he needed to vent. There was only so much he could tolerate and he had reached his limits, a long time ago.

Rowan had never wanted to kill anyone before. It was an intense hatred that she had never really experienced, fuelled by Quill's betrayal and the fact that he had used her to get to the man she loved. She brought her hatred to bear as she lashed out at Quill, uppercutting him hard in the belly.

She couldn't teleport inside the space station, and neither could he. The anti-teleportation seemed to be universal. She had seen the focus on his face as he had tried, only to be replaced with surprise and pain as she buried her fist deep in his stomach.

He doubled over, clutching his stomach and coughing as he stumbled back, away from Rowan. The room was devastated. Computer consoles were crushed or incinerated by Cell's blast, half of one of the walls was missing, carving a cavernous hole through the interior of the station so deep that it became too far to see. Flickering lights and dangling wires hung exposed from the destruction. Several people had been incinerated in that attack, and there were a few unmoving bodies on the floor, technicians that Cell had taken out.

Rowan was mildly aware that she was bleeding from the blast wound in her side, something she couldn't afford since she had already lost a fair amount of blood when they had been pumping it into Cell. But her anger over-rode her weakness and she grabbed a twisted piece of scrap metal from the floor as she stalked towards Quill.

He looked at her, worried as she approached. She was a truly terribly sight to behold. Her skin was pale, her hair wild and messy, and her tank top drenched in her own blood while her face was twisted in a savage snarl. But her eyes were the worst. Bright with absolute fury, he saw only his own death in them. Her entire focus was on him and how much she wanted to make him hurt.

Quill was not a fighter like Cell, but he was also not the pacifist he had claimed to be either and he knew how to defend himself. Rowan roared as she swung the metal make-shift club at Quill. He ducked the strike and charged forward, jabbing his thumb-claw deep into the wound in her side, and he flicked his wrist, tearing the wound even more.

Rowan screamed out and staggered back, tripping over an exposed wire and stumbling, falling to her knees. She clutched at the injury, snarling. Quill didn't give her time to get back up, lunging at her again with his arms held wide, thumb claws poised to strike. Rowan threw one of her hands forward with a staggering amount of speed and forced all her remaining energy out.

Quill was too close and he didn't have the time to open himself to absorb the attack. Her blast incinerated his head and shoulders and his corpse collapsed to the ground in front of Rowan, smoking.

Rowan grimaced, unable to fully celebrate her victory. After everything they had been through, she was going to die anyway on this god forsaken station and take Cell out with her. The sound of someone screaming down in the distance caused her to lift her head.

Gun shots and lasers echoed through the open hole in the wall, followed by more screams, yells and a child's laughter.

A child's laughter? Rowan blinked as the cause of the laughter suddenly burst into the room, and she couldn't stop staring. He was tiny, probably no taller than her waist and his armour was blue, his face was smooth and rounded with youth and he flashed a toothy grin at her, but no matter how she tried to think about it, the little being was Cell.

"Ma!" The child-Cell said happily and waved at her before it flew over the rubble and the corpses, landing next to her. His face fell into concern as he saw the blood pouring from her side and her pale and pasty skin, but still she stared, shocked, at the little Cell.

"Hello." She finally managed in a hoarse voice. "And who might you be?" The little Cell beamed at her.

"I'm a Cell Junior!" He said with a giggle. Rowan frowned. Up close, she noticed that it wasn't an exact replica of Cell. His eyes weren't the pale pink of Cells', but the grassy green of Rowans'. And his nose was rounded and buttoned. The more she looked at him, the more she saw of herself in the little creature, and quite suddenly, she realized that somehow, in some impossible way, she had become a parent.

"Junior? Really? That's the best name he could give you?" Rowan asked, wincing as the little Cell lifted her arm around his neck and hovered up, helping her to her feet.

"Uh-huh!" The little Cell said chirpily. Rowan grunted. She didn't think she could walk very far like this.

"I don't like that name." She said conversationally, trying to distract herself as she put one foot slowly in front of the other.

"What name do you like?" The little Cell asked her as he led her down a corridor.

"Hmm..." She considered this for a moment, walking slowly in silence. "How about… Serin?" She asked. The little Cell giggled and smiled at her.

"I like that name! I am now Serin!" He laughed again and genuinely looked pleased. Rowan gave him a small smile.

Serin suddenly turned serious and he gently let Rowan go, leaning her against the side of the wall. A dozen armed soldiers came roaring around the corner. Serin was ready and he proved to Rowan that despite his diminutive size, he was every bit as strong and competent a fighter as Cell. Within seconds all the soldiers were subdued. Serin gave himself a little victory dance as he hovered in the air, punching the air and humming to himself in pride.

"Wow, you're just full of beans." Rowan said absently. She had slid down the wall and was sitting awkwardly on the floor. Her red blood smear marked her descent vividly and she knew she wouldn't be able to stand back up again. Serin landed in front of her, concern plastered to his young face.

She was looking at him, taking in all of his details and committing them to memory. Until her sudden realization caused her to gasp as she slipped her fingers into the pockets in her jeans. The foil packets were still there, which was surprising. The Tecktarians had never bothered to empty her pockets or strip her clothes. Rowan patted her pants quickly, aware that Serin was watching her intently.

The tiny little greyish coloured bean was in her back pocket and she slipped it out, staring at it for a moment, giving a silent prayer of thanks to Goku before she popped it into her mouth. It was a rather bland taste and it was quite dry as she chewed it, but she swallowed it down, hoping that it would work.

Rowan cried out from the sudden shock as the magical little bean rapidly healed the wound in her side and fully replenished her energy. She was still a little weakened from the blood loss, but her body was already working on that. She stared at Serin for a moment before she started to laugh. Serin offered her his hand as he hovered back off the ground again and she took it, jumping to her feet.

She lifted her blood-soaked shirt quickly, running her fingers across the scar. There was too much blood to inspect it closely, and she would need to bathe first. But that could wait.

"Come, we need to get out of here!" Serin exclaimed urgently, but he was smiling at her. Rowan nodded and took off after Serin as he flew down the corridor. Her aura erupted around her, brilliant and blue and Serin giggled as his own golden one flared to life.

Serin paused at the intersection of a corridor, looking down each with a small frown. With a small roar he threw his hands forward and unleashed a terrifying attack, obliterating the walls in front of him, creating a long passageway out. The sudden rush of air told Rowan that he had breached the hull of the space station and she frowned.

"Serin, I can't breathe in space like you and Cell can." She said pointedly. Serin nodded and grinned as he offered her his hand.

"Trust me!" He declared. Rowan didn't even hesitate. She liked Serin. He might look like Cell, but he was full of life and his smile was heart-warming. A bubble of thin blue energy flared to life around them as she took his hand and he led them towards the hole in the hull.

The cold was numbing, but the atmosphere in the bubble was still breathable. Outer space was breathtaking as the overwhelming feeling of insignificance gripped her as she stared out at the vast universe and the trillions of stars that twinkled at her in the depths of space.

She glanced back behind her as the monstrous space station began to shrink as they moved away from it. Behind the space station was a breathtakingly beautiful purple gas-giant similar to Jupiter with the multitude of layers and the swirling clouds.

"Look!" Serin called her attention back in front of her. There was a small twinkle of bright yellow in front of them, glittering and bright. It looked like a bright star but it was captivatingly beautiful. Until they started to get close. It was Cell, surrounded in a monstrous sphere of golden energy, crackling with power. A tiny blue light, even brighter than his aura was focused in his hands.

Cell waited a moment. He could sense Rowan and his junior approaching. Her energy had become dangerously dim, but had suddenly flared brilliant. The little junior waved at him as they stopped short of his sphere of power, hovering in their own small ball.

 _'Can you teleport?_ ' Rowan startled at the sheer power in Cells' mental voice. He was quiet and firm, but there was no denying his fury. Rowan swallowed her sudden nervousness under the pressure of such a voice and she focused, concentrating her energy as she threw her blanket around herself. She didn't teleport but the blanket held fast and strong.

 _'Yes._ ' She replied after a moment.

 _'Good. Do so.'_ Cell demanded. Rowan frowned, looking back at the space station.

 _'Cell, there are a lot of innocent…'_

 _'DO NOT STOP ME, ROWAN!'_ Cells command was primal in its savagery and the glare he levelled at her was the most monstrous look she had ever seen on his face before. Rowan was faltering in her resolution to protest further, but a small thought stopped her. The dragon balls.

Rowan said nothing further and cast her blanket around Serin as well.

"No ma, I want to see the bang!" Serin said as the energy surrounded him. She glared at him.

"No. We do not condone murdering so many people!" She declared angrily. Serin pouted, still holding Rowans' hand but resigned to not getting his way. With a sigh, Rowan focused her mind, and suddenly, Cell was alone in the depths of space.

Cell roared, thrusting his arms forward as he unleashed a truly terrifying Kamehameha wave that was almost as tall as a skyscraper. The silence was deafening, even with the intensity of the blast. The energy ripped past the space station and tore a hole through the clouds in the atmosphere of the planet.

Cell watched as brilliant blue light burst out of the clouds, peppering the gas giant with columns of light, before it suddenly ignited. Cell watched, just long enough, for the planet to explode outwards, obliterating the moons and the space station before he teleported, just as the immense shock wave ripped past where he had been.

He never got to see the full extent of the devastation he had single headedly caused. The sheer power of his explosive force continued to spread out from the destroyed gas giant, devouring everything caught in its path. It took a few minutes for the shock wave to reach the star in the centre of the solar system, but the destructive force rendered the star unstable, and it also exploded outwards.

Within days, there would be nothing left in the solar system. The energy from the exploding star and the destructive force of Cells' attack would travel for millions of miles until eventually the energy would finally dissipate.

Cell appeared in his arena. It was dark, dismal and stormy. His mood matched the weather. He looked around absently. There was no life near his arena, the storm had forced everyone to ground. He looked up at the sky, focusing for a moment. His best guess was that it was only a couple of hours before dawn. The incident with the Tecktarians had taken around about 6 hours, but it had felt like years. In only a couple of hours, his tournament would begin. He wondered if Goku and the others had even noticed that he had disappeared from Earth for a few hours. He doubted it. They would be pre-occupied with their own arrangements and their final night of certainty on Earth.

Cells' eyes narrowed as he considered his promise to Goku. He hadn't used Rowan, but her blood had been forced into his body, and by technicality, he had taken advantage of her gift. That, and almost dying, had increased his power massively. He had spent a large chunk of it annihilating the Tecktarian space station and what he assumed to be their home world orbiting the purple gas giant, but the amount of energy he still possessed, was far more than he had when he had woken this morning. But instead of making him feel better, he felt even more frustrated than before.

He had just murdered millions of people. He had demonstrated his absolute power and his destructive force. But it didn't make him feel pleased or even a little satisfied. Perhaps it was because nobody had survived to witness it. Perhaps it was because he had done it out of an act of vengeance or perhaps it was because he was still angry at having been almost killed in the first place.

 _Or perhaps it is because Rowan is disappointed in such actions._ The thought crept into his mind and with a snarl, he forced it away. To admit that Rowan had changed him so much, was more than he could truly bear to consider in his current chaotic mind. He sighed, trying to calm himself down. He focused his senses, locking onto Rowans' energy. She was not far away from him, and he realized, she had teleported back to the caravan park. Cell opened his wings and hovered off the ground, away from the arena.

He was powerful enough now, that simply bursting away from the ground, would probably devastate the surrounding area, and he had no intention of damaging the arena when the tournament was so close. When he decided that he was high enough to avoid doing any serious damage, he blasted off across the sky towards Rowan.

Serin was playing in the lake, ignoring the bad weather completely. Rowan was rifling through her destroyed house. She had found the photo of her parents, singed, but thankfully intact and she clutched it to her chest with one hand for a moment before she finally folded it and slipped it into her jeans pocket. She sighed as she knelt down, moving more debris around as she continued to sift.

Cell left a monstrous golden vapour trail across the darkened sky, vanishing suddenly overhead. She stood up, turning to face him as he lowered himself to the ground, the gravel crunching under his feet as he did so. His face was hard and his eyes were cold, his arms folded across his chest. Rowan was soaked from the rain and she casually flipped her hair from her face, pushing it back against her head.

"Cell…" She finally said, nervous. She couldn't read him when he was like this. Was he mad at her? Cautiously, she stepped through the rubble of her house, making her way towards him. He watched her intently, remaining unreadable as she approached. She stopped just short of him, staring for several moments. Finally, she sighed and looked away from his intense gaze and instead turned to face the soaked wreckage of her house.

"So much has happened lately. It's hard to fully appreciate just how lucky we are." She said quietly as the rain eased into a drizzle. After another silence, she glanced over her shoulder at Cell. Even in the dark of the night, she could see him easily. He was very faintly glowing golden, his power was now so potent. He was still watching her, obviously thinking hard about something. She looked away again and hugged her arms. She wasn't chilled but she was uncomfortably wet and her clothes were ruined once again.

"I think… I'd like a shower. And a change of clothes before the tournament begins. Maybe a hot cup of tea if I can find one." She said, more to herself than to Cell. But it broke the silence and it gave her something to do. She didn't look back at Cell, instead keeping her head turned away from him as she headed towards the lake.

"Serin!" She called out over the sound of the drizzle on the leaves and the surface of the water. She waited a moment before she called out again. Almost instantly, the waters' surface exploded outwards in a huge plume as an absolutely monstrous fish breached, twisting angrily as the diminutive Serin laughed, riding on its back. Rowan stared dumbfounded as Serin launched himself off of the fish, letting it splash back into the water, and he hovered over towards Rowan, landing on the gravelled beach.

"Hiya!" He said with a grin as he tucked his hands behind his head, proud of himself. "I was playing with the fish!" Rowan broke into a laugh and knelt down in front of him.

"That's so cool." She said with enthusiasm, loving his cheeky smile. "Look Serin, I'm going to go to the city to get some clothes and have a shower before the big tournament. Would you like to come with me?" Serins' face turned serious for a moment as he looked up at Rowan.

Despite his small, child-like features, his eyes were full of intelligence and he looked like Cell when he considered things.

"I go where you go. I have to protect you." He said simply, but firmly. Rowan frowned at this. "You don't have to protect me, Serin." Serin shook his head and beamed up at her again, giggling.

"Only reason Dad created me! It's my purpose!" Rowan opened her mouth to object, but stopped as she heard Cells' approaching footsteps.

"Junior, go to the arena. Stay out of sight, but don't leave the area." Cell said firmly, in a voice that brokered no argument. Serin stared up at him with a wide-eyed surprise.

"But…"

"His name is Serin, not Junior, and he's our son, not your slave!" Rowan suddenly spat angrily, as she stood to her full height with her shoulders set back in a challenging posture. Cell looked at her, raising an eye ridge. He didn't look impressed though.

"Junior, is a clone of me. A solider, not a child, and you have nothing to do with his creation." Cell replied coolly. Rowan snarled and gestured at Serin.

"Have you actually even looked at him?!" She demanded. Cell narrowed his eyes at her, letting them linger before he finally turned his attention to the smaller blue version of himself. His face widened in surprise as he realized that the little clone, did in fact, have her eyes and nose.

Several moments passed in awkward silence. Rowan was glaring at Cell, Cell was staring surprised at Serin, and Serin was just curiously glancing between the two of them.

" _Serin_ then, would you _please_ do as I asked?" Cell finally broke the silence, his voice venomous. Serin nodded once, blasting off suddenly, before Rowan could object. Serin was not as strong or as fast as Cell, but he was still quite the sight to behold as he disappeared over the horizon in a flash of gold.

"It's quite unusual that he has your DNA in his body." Cell stated, almost conversationally. Rowans' face was still set in a snarl, and she glared up at Cell for another moment before she finally sighed and let her shoulders fall.

"Fine, I'll bite. Where did he come from?" She asked.

"I reproduce A-Sexually, Rowan." His voice was quiet and firm, but his eyes were watching her closely, studying her reaction. Her face was one of surprise as his statement settled in her mind.

"You… But… Can you? Um… I'm really confused." She finally managed. He couldn't stop himself from chuckling at her obvious discomfort.

"It would seem, enough of your DNA is in my body to affect my offspring." He said casually, with a small flourish of his hand as if it was everyday news. Rowan opened her mouth to speak, only to close it as she processed this strange revelation.

"But… If you can… um… birth babies… does that make you female?" Her face flushed with colour at her obvious embarrassment, but she held his stare as his eyes narrowed.

"I'd prefer to be considered male, with the ability to clone myself as needed." He said in an annoyed voice.

"But…" Rowan began. She silenced herself as Cell's face darkened. He obviously wasn't in the mood to discuss his strange reproductive abilities further. Rowans' curiosity ate away at her thought.

"Your body confuses me." She finally declared with resignation as she folded her arms, hugging herself. She wasn't affected by the cold, but she was soaked and the weather was miserable. She still longed for a hot shower and a cup of tea, and Cells' aggravating nature was only making her more desperate. She looked up at him carefully for a moment.

"I'm going to Central City." She said simply, and before he could reply, she vanished in a small puff of air and rain drops. Cells' eyes narrowed and he frowned as he looked out at the lake.

Despite how much she annoyed him, he had to admit he was relieved that she was ultimately, unharmed. They had avoided talking about what had happened. Something he didn't object to, but it had changed them, he knew. A dark thought crossed his mind and it made him scowl. Even though he had obliterated every trace of the Space station and the entire solar system they had been in, that did not guarantee Rowans', nor his own security. Even now, he was tense.

And Rowan had just once again, ventured out on her own. Cell closed his eyes, sighing nasally as he thought. He knew the full consequences of continuing his relationship with Rowan. He understood that the young and naïve girl was probably the only being in the universe who currently posed a serious threat to his life now, but, regardless of how much his brain told him it was foolish, he still felt the irresistible pull towards her.

Ultimately, he would be forced to make the decision of a life without flaw or weakness, without Rowan, or a life where she would be at his side, and he would never be alone, but a life where he would forever suffer under the knowledge that she held power over him. It was a hard decision for him to make, but even if he decided right this second, it wouldn't change his vulnerability at the tournament.

Cell forced his dark thoughts from his mind and focused on Rowan's energy. Teleporting was not a difficult thing for him to do, but it was strange to him, and at the end of the day, he would always prefer to fly. Central City was not very far away, and it would give them both time to think as well.

Rowan appeared in the middle of an intersection in Central City. She sighed as she looked around, getting her bearings. It was dismally dark and although it wasn't quite raining here yet, the clouds overhead were heavy and threatening to burst. The streets were blissfully empty and silent. Rowan quickly headed down one of the main streets, heading towards the shopping district in the centre of the city. After a few dozen steps, she lifted herself off of the ground, flying to make better time, and to avoid the echoing and eerie sounds of her boots on the shattered glass strewn across the pavement.

It did not take her long to find a smashed and looted clothes boutique. She hesitated as she landed outside the shop, feeling tense. The last shop she had been in, had almost cost her and Cell their lives. She set her jaw and shoulders and quickly stepped inside. She kept her energy blanket wrapped around her, just in case as she rummaged for fresh clothes.

Within moments she flew out of the store with a bag full of clothes and she quickly gained altitude. She couldn't deny how uncomfortable that had been for her, and it had darkened her mood substantially. Shopping would no longer be an enjoyable past time for her, she realized darkly.

Rowan scanned the sky scrapers, looking for a hotel or apartment with a balcony. It didn't take her long to find a suitable hotel room and she landed on a lavish penthouse room balcony. The glass door was locked, but the curtains were ajar and she peered inside, uncertain.

It was dark but she could make out the bed, empty with tightly folded sheets. Everything was pristinely organized and clean, which suggested that it was unoccupied and had been left prepared for the next guests.

Rowan sighed, momentarily scolding herself as she tapped the window, shattering it. She remembered how she had scolded Cell for doing the same thing only a few days ago. She looked out at the dark sky for a moment, realising that it _ **had**_ only been a few days ago, but it felt like so long. So much had happened in such a short time. It was staggering.

She had become a mother. She smiled to herself as she dumped her pile of clothes on the large and luxurious bed. Or was she the father? That thought stopped her for a moment as she considered it. She shrugged it off, emptying her pockets onto the bed before quickly stripping off her blood soaked clothes, and dumping them in the garbage. She headed into the magnificently beautiful bathroom with its vast open space with the large shower cubicle and a very inviting raised spa. Rowan couldn't resist the temptation and quickly began to run the hot water in the spa. It would take several minutes to fill however, so she headed to the shower, giving herself only a few minutes, just enough to wash away the blood, sweat and grime that had become caked to her body.

She slipped out of the shower, checking the spa. It was just over half way. She sighed and sat on the edge with her feet in the hot water, inspecting her injuries. The senzu bean was not as gifted at healing as Dende. The skin where the blast had been was shiny and distorted. Another scar to add to her rather rapidly growing collection. She stood up and looked at herself hard in the mirror. She touched the spidery scar on her chest, and her face hardened as she remembered Seru. It felt like a lifetime ago.

She moved her hand to her shoulder, remembering her father. The strange red mark on her neck made her smile though as she recalled the passion that Cell had shown her in that moment as he had made her his. Her fingers lingered on the mark for a few moments and she let herself smile.

Finally, she turned away from her reflection and stepped into the spa. It was delightfully hot and almost filled. She groaned softly as she sat down until only her neck was above the water line, letting the hot water ease her. After a moment she turned the water off, and examined the controls on the side of the raised platform. Within seconds, she had the jets and bubbles set to max and she closed her eyes, soaking.

She had let herself lose focus of anything, except this moment of heavenly bliss. She had needed this, more than she had realized, and she slowly dunked her head under the water, letting her hair fan out around her.

When she finally lifted her head back out of the water, raising her hands to brush her hair back, Cell was waiting for her. He was standing in the open space of the bathroom, his arms folded across his armoured chest, watching her closely. She opened her eyes and managed a warm smile.

"This is, truly, delightful." She said quietly as she eased back into the seat, pressing her back against the massaging jets. Cell watched her, his jaw tensing as she moaned softly. Rowan grinned at him for a moment before she let her head roll back against the edge of the spa and she closed her eyes.

"I'd ask you to join me, but I don't think your wings will allow that." She said softly as she opened one eye, watching him. His eyes narrowed but still he said nothing. The silence between them stretched on for several minutes as she relaxed. But the water was beginning to chill and she was growing restless.

"Cell…" She hesitated for a moment as her face became serious. She lifted herself from the chair, instead resting her chin on her arms as she leaned over the edge of the spa.

"Cell, I am sorry for what happened." She said after a moment, in a small voice.

"You were manipulated, Rowan." He replied in a firm voice, effectively dismissing her concern. She looked at him for a moment, surprised.

"Aren't you angry at me?" She was watching him carefully, trying to read him. Finally he sighed and unfolded his arms, lifting one of his hands to his temples.

"I am not angry at you." He said with a heavy sigh, exasperated. "I am angry at myself for not only allowing us both to be captured, but for also suffering the indignity of almost being killed." He lowered his hand, locking his gaze with her again. Rowan couldn't hide the small smile that crossed her face. This only annoyed Cell further.

"What?" He demanded. Her smile spread into a grin and she giggled.

"Nothing. I'm just… You never cease to amaze me, that's all." She reached over, turning off the spa.

"Why?" He asked, not bothering to try to hide his irritation. Rowan pulled the plug, allowing the water to drain and she stood up. Cell's face went from irritated to mildly amused as she stepped out of the spa, exposing herself completely to him with a small grin. She swept her hair back over her shoulders, wringing it out as the water pooled around her feet.

She never bothered to answer his question, enjoying the look on his face as he watched her grab a towel from the rack and dry herself off.

"You know, someone once told me that it's rude to stare." She said casually over her shoulder as she leaned down to dry her legs. She could see the tension in his jaw line again as he openly watched her. Slowly, his eyes drifted back to hers.

"You do know how to push my buttons Rowan." He said softly. She stood back up, folding the towel and placing it on the sink. She rummaged in the drawers, finding a small plastic comb and began to tackle her hair.

Cells' arms wrapped around her waist gently as he lowered his head to her neck, breathing in her scent. She craned her neck to the side, pulling her hair forward as she continued to work out the tangles. He held her tightly, lifting his face to look in the mirror.

She could see the strange shadows of emotion that crossed across his eyes as he studied their reflection.

"What are you thinking, Cell?" She asked after a moment, finally lowering the comb back to the sink. She leaned against him, resting her hands on top of his arms. Slowly he stood back up to his full, impressive height behind her, his eyes hard and unblinking.

"I'm thinking about how truly foolish I have been." He replied quietly. She watched his face in the reflection carefully, waiting for him to continue.

"People like me… Monsters, like me, we don't get a happily ever after. No matter the outcome of the tournament, my life will not be an easy one. When I win I must decide what to do with the Earth. If I rule it, there will be constant uprisings, guerrilla style fighting, battles and the like. If I choose to start an empire, it will much the same as well, but on a much larger scale."

"If I leave the Earth to go in search of greater challenges, my life will be just constant battles and uncertainty. No matter what I chose, Rowan, you will be my constant vulnerability, something that will weigh heavily against me. All I can promise you, is a life of turmoil, worry and insecurity. You deserve better than that."

Rowan frowned at his words, giving them due consideration.

"Have you considered… Maybe after the tournament, just leaving things the way they are? We could find somewhere quiet, just the two of us. Make a life for ourselves…" Rowan let her voice trail off. Cell tightened his grip around her waist, holding her against his body.

"I am a fighter, Rowan. I cannot simply settle down. I _need_ to fight. It is who I am." Rowan sighed softly at his words.

"Goku and the others are fighters too. They manage without feeling the need to obliterate everything and everyone in the process."

"I am not Goku." Cell replied dryly. Rowan smiled at him in the mirror.

"No, you are Cell. You, and only you, get to decide what you do with your life. At the moment, you are still confined by what you _believe_ you are, rather than what you _actually_ are." Cell narrowed his eyes, frowning at her as she smiled. He considered her words for a moment.

"And what is it you think I am, exactly?" Rowan turned around in his arms to face him, looking up into his eyes. Slowly she reached up, sliding her fingers under his helmet.

"You believe that you are this monster, created with the purpose of killing Goku and destroying everything else in your path." After a moment, she finally managed to free his helmet, sliding it off over his head. She held it against her chest with one hand, as she reached the other up to his cheek.

"But what you actually are, is a man standing at precipice of a vast world. You might have been created with dark intentions, but you've proven time and time again that you govern your own life. You can be whatever you want to be, and do whatever you want to do."

"Think of all the things you could experience, all the things to see and do. You pass your nose up at them because you believe you're above such small things but the few times you have tried something new, you've been impressed."

"You don't have to destroy things. You can seek out new challenges without being evil. Hell, you don't even have to kill Goku. Keep him around so you two can constantly challenge each other. You have a lot of choices, a lot of options. Not everything has to be black and white, and you don't have to be a monster, not unless you chose to be one." Rowan smiled to add emphasis to her words, letting her hand play with his hair absently.

Cell studied her face hard, letting her words truly sink in. He leaned down suddenly, kissing her mouth firmly. She accepted him happily, deepening the kiss and tasting his tongue with her own. He pulled her tighter against him, but she grunted and broke the kiss. His helmet had dug into chest. He let her go as she turned away from him, placing the helmet on the sink.

She turned back to him with her arms free and wrapped them around his neck, pulling his face back down into a tender kiss.

She had changed him. He realized suddenly, as he found himself actually considering her words. She countered the savagery in his personality, and forced his ego under control, numbing the killer instinct. Things he would definitely have to consider, but right now, he needed her and the release she could offer him.

He broke their embrace suddenly, scooping her into his arms in one fast and fluid motion. She couldn't stop herself from squealing at the suddenness of his action, but she didn't fight him either, letting him carry her effortlessly out of the bathroom. He laid her on the bed, leaning over her to kiss her again, smirking as she bit his lip gently. He pushed away from the bed, taking a few steps back.

Rowan propped herself up on her elbow, watching as he disintegrated his amour again.

"You know, at this rate, after the tournament, you should just leave it off. It would save you having to regrow it every few minutes." She said playfully. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Every few minutes? Is that a promise or a challenge?" He asked with a chuckle. Rowan laughed, grabbing a pillow and hurling it at him. His fighting reflex made him react as he swiped it in half, causing it to explode in a cloud of feathers, which only made Rowan laugh harder. Cell shook the feathers from his hair with a look of annoyance.

"You look good with feathers! Maybe give your wings an upgrade!" She laughed. Cell rolled his eyes.

"Irritating woman." He grumbled. She was on her side, propped up on one elbow, watching him, her hair spread out behind her, her soft lips curled into a grin. He couldn't deny, she looked inviting at that moment, but he hid it behind a look of annoyance.

"Infuriating man." She retorted. He smirked at her.

"Stubborn creature." He said as he took a step towards the bed. She grinned, showing her teeth.

"That's the pot calling the kettle black." She said with feigned indignity. Cell snickered as he towered over her and the bed.

"Of all the women on this planet, how did I manage to end up with the most vexatious, foolish…" He stopped short as her hand grabbed him suddenly, squeezing gently. She grinned up at him as she sat up on the bed.

"So that's how I get you to shut up." She said with a chuckle, pausing for a moment, gently playing with him. He narrowed his eyes, watching with a smirk as she suddenly took him in her mouth. He rolled his head back, groaning. His hands cradled her head gently as she made him very rigid, very quickly.

After a few moments, Cell pushed her head back, his jaw line tense as he fought to control himself. She looked up at him, slowly licking her lips. It was a very arousing sight to him. He grabbed her shoulders, pushing her back onto the bed. He leaned over her, supporting himself on one hand and kissing her hungrily as his other hand gently traced the lines of her body downwards.

His fingers explored her welcoming body, as he broke their kiss, lowering his face to one of her breasts, biting the nipple gently, teasing it hard. She moaned, running her fingers through his hair, letting him know that she was more than ready.

He slid his fingers free, sucking them clean. The consequential energy boost was greatly diminished, due to having so much of her blood pumped into his body so recently, but it was still there. He watched as Rowan leaned over, rummaging through the pile of stuff on the opposite side of the bed that she had dumped there earlier, grabbing one of the foil packets and quickly tearing it open. He couldn't hide the small groan that escaped his throat as her hands gripped him tightly, stroking him before sliding the protection down his shaft.

He pushed her hurriedly down onto the bed, his face finding her neck, nibbling it hungrily. He put his knees between her legs, spreading them before he slid inside her, feeling her tense tightly around him and hearing her gasp. Her nails dug into his shoulders and the back of his neck, as he thrust into her hard and fast. Both of them needed this release, and it was almost primal in its simplicity. She climaxed quickly, and he followed soon after, collapsing onto her chest as she hugged him tightly, both breathing hard to catch their breath.

"I spose we'll both need a shower before the tournament now." Rowan finally said after a while. Cell chuckled, propping himself up onto one hand, as he kissed her again. She snaked her arms around him tightly, loving having his weight and warmth pressed against her body. Finally, he rolled off of her, standing up and rolling his shoulders. She watched him, admiring his flawless body and the light speckling pattern of his smooth skin. She could see each of the perfectly shaped muscles moving under the surface as he casually walked around the bed, disappearing into the bathroom. She heard the snap as he removed the used protection and sighed as the water began to run in the shower.

She laid back on the bed for a few minutes, rolling her head to the side and staring out of the partially drawn curtains on the balcony. The sun was just beginning to lighten the horizon.

It was dawn, on the day of the Tournament that would determine the fate of the Earth. Rowans' thoughts turned sombre as she considered if she could still bring herself to stop Cell if he truly threatened the Earth. If it was to be at this exact moment, she knew with a heavy heart, that she didn't have the resolve to kill him. She silently hoped that she wouldn't need to test herself on the battle field later on today.

Rowan finally eased herself out of bed and headed to the small kitchen area of the hotel room. She boiled the complimentary kettle, making a couple of cups of tea and leaving them to brew before she headed to the bathroom to join her lover, and the tyrant of Earth.

The shower was larger than average and even with his awkward wings, there was still enough room for her to join him.

He embraced her tenderly, kissing her softly as the water ran over his back, making a gentle shushing sound as it struck the hard shell of his wings. Rowan held her hands against his chest, feeling his heart beating steadily beneath her fingers as he held her tightly. Finally he let her mouth go, lowering his face to her neck, just breathing in her scent and enjoying the tender and relaxing moment.

"Not long to go now." She said quietly. He grunted a reply against her neck. "Couple of hours and you'll be finally fighting Goku." With a heavy nasal sigh, Cell lifted his head, looking down at her.

"It's too bad that I've become so powerful that it won't even be a challenge now." He said bitterly. Rowan frowned.

"You sound so disappointed."

"It will still be an entertaining battle, to be sure, but it won't be a true challenge. My power far exceeds his own." Rowan bit her lip, looking up at him for a moment.

"Maybe… I could even the odds a bit to make it more of a challenge for you?" She asked hesitantly. Cell raised a brow at her, but he considered it.

"Are you suggesting I let you vent off some of my energy?" He asked. She nodded up at him, smiling.

"Think about it. If I take it right before the tournament begins, then the fight will truly be everything you really wanted and you can fight without regret." Cell furrowed his brow as he thought about it.

"It's not a bad idea Rowan." He finally said, smirking. The challenge was proving to be irresistible to him. Rowan grinned up at him, inwardly giving herself a high five.

"Should we get going soon?" She asked him quietly. He smirked down at her suddenly.

"Soon enough. There is something I'd like to do first."

"And what's that?" She asked. Cells' sudden movement caught her off guard as he grabbed her rear, picking her up and pinning her against the wall of the shower, pressing himself against her.

"I'd like to have you again." He replied, in a sultry voice, before he bit her neck forcefully, making her moan. She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his hips.

The sun was well and truly up, breaching the hills and turning the sky from dawn pink and gold to a rich blue by the time Cell and Rowan were both dressed. He slipped his helmet back on as she laced up her boots before she stood up, admiring her new outfit. Tight black jeans with a green halter top and a short dark grey jacket. She had her hair tied back in a high pony tail. Cell nodded at her with approval.

She slipped into his arms, kissing the bridge of his nose gently as he held her one last time before the tournament. He kissed her softly.

"Please Cell, try not to kill anyone." Rowan pleaded after a moment. Cell sighed softly.

"Rowan… I don't want you to challenge me today." He said quietly. Rowan frowned up at him.

"Then don't give me a reason to." She replied simply. He gently let her go, but she put her hand on his shoulder.

"No matter what happens Cell, there is something I want you to know." She began, a flush of colour in her cheeks. Cell frowned.

"I already know, Rowan. I can feel it through our bond."

"I know, but sometimes, you just have to say it." Rowan shrugged and smiled as she spoke. Cell frowned down at her and opened his mouth to speak, but she stopped him, quickly kissing him.

"I know it's not easy for you and you don't have to say it. But I still want you to know that _**I**_ love you." She said. Cell gave her a small nod. He opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off as her energy blanket engulfed them, and they vanished from the hotel room.

It was cold and windy at the arena and the clouds were still threateningly dark overhead. Cell was still looking at Rowan, fully aware of what she had done. She let go of his shoulder, but remained where she was, smiling up at him.

"Would you mind if I stayed with you until the tournament began?" She asked him hesitantly. Cell smirked and folded his arms across his chest, assuming his usual pose.

"That would please me immensely." She nodded and sighed, looking around. She spotted a van parked on the road and a couple of people standing close by.

"Reporters." She observed as she noted the TV station in bold on the side of the van. There was a satellite dish on top of the van, indicating it was a live broadcast. Cell followed her gaze for a moment before closing his eyes and plastering a small frown to his face.

Rowan watched the reporter and the cameraman for a few minutes as they remained where they were, several hundred feet from the arena, next to their van, but even from here, it was clear the reporter was obviously talking, keeping up a running commentary.

Rowan finally turned her attention skyward as a few heavy drops of rain splattered her face.

"Shame the weather is so dismal." She remarked casually. Cell opened his eyes at this and looked up at the heavy clouds. He unfolded his arms and concentrated, extending one of his hands skyward. Standing so close, she could feel the heat radiating out from him as he fuelled his energy into his hand. A moment later and he fired a small but potently powerful disc of golden energy into the sky. After a few seconds he clenched his outstretched hand into a fist, causing the sphere to suddenly explode in a monstrous blast of light.

Rowan had to blink a few times before her vision returned, revealing a bright blue sky, with no sign of the clouds that had threatened only seconds before. Cell smirked and folded his arms again.

"Better?" He asked. She grinned and nodded.

"Would have been a shame if someone had been to slip over from the rain during the fight." She said chirpily. Cell stared at her with a small smile, inwardly admiring how radiant she looked in the sun light.

"How long till it starts?" She asked suddenly. Cell narrowed his eyes as he glanced up at the sun.

"45 minutes. 50 at most." He declared. Rowan nodded, turning back to the reporter and his cameraman. There was a plume of dust approaching from down the road and they were watching it closely.

"I wonder who that is." Cell followed her attention, his senses scanning.

"A human. Very minor power, nothing exceptional." He answered, dismissing it and closing his eyes.

Rowan watched, enthralled as Hercule Satan stepped out of the limo as it stopped close to the van. He posed and flexed and performed some strong-man feats in front of the camera. She was captivated by his charisma, but stunned by his stupidity if he actually intended to challenge Cell.

As if to answer her unspoken question, he and the two media men, approached the arena. Hercule was a large and muscular man with a huge moustache, exposed hairy chest and a head of thick and curly hair. He locked eyes with Rowan for a moment, as if he was stunned to see her casually standing next to Cell, but he obviously dismissed her, turning to face Cell.

"Oi Cell! I'm going to make you beg for mercy, do you hear me?! You're going to regret the day you ever crawled out whatever hole it was you came from, YEAH!" Rowan blinked, dumbfounded as Hercule stepped up into the arena, flexing and showing off for the camera. Cell hadn't even acknowledged his existence, ignoring him completely.

"Oh my god, he's actually serious." Rowan muttered under her breath, so only Cell could hear it. Cell couldn't stop himself from giving her a small smirk, but kept his eyes closed and his arms folded, looking ever the intimidating tyrant.

"Oi, little girl, you shouldn't be here! You could get hurt!" Hercule yelled, pointing rudely at Rowan. Rowan broke into a grin and waved at him.

"Don't you mind me, I'm just a spectator." She called back.

"You need to get out of the ring, girl! I'm going to crush Cell like a bug beneath my boot!" Hercule yelled, posturing as he imitated crushing a bug. Rowan was acutely aware of the camera and felt her resolve weaken a little.

"But… Cell is… Far stronger than you. If you challenge him, you will most likely, get seriously hurt." She said with a frown. The veins on Hercules' neck stood out suddenly as his face twisted into one of rage.

"WHAT?! Do you know who I am, little girl?! I am Hercule Satan, strongest man on Earth and Martial Arts Champion of the world! Don't you try and tell me I can't defeat Cell! He's a pushover compared to me."

"Oh brother. And here I thought _**you**_ had an ego problem." Rowan said quietly. Cell chuckled but otherwise remained unmoving.

"For the last time, get out of the ring girl!" Rowan felt her frustration at the foolish man cause her temper to swell up.

"My name is ROWAN, not GIRL, you insufferable man. If you want to fight him so bad, be my guest. You won't last ten seconds!" She yelled across the arena at him. But she turned away from Hercule, facing Cell. "Try not to kill him please, but I really won't object if you hurt this moron." Cell opened his eyes at this, chuckling as Rowan stormed off to the edge of the arena, away from Hercule, jumping down.

Hercule postured in front of the camera, laughing like an idiot.

"Yeah! Hercule is gonna beat the stuffing out of that giant green roach! YEAH!" Rowan shook her head, watching as the idiot strut over to Cell. Cell looked at him with cold pink eyes.

Hercule lunged at Cell, punching, striking and kicking the android ruthlessly. Cell didn't even flinch, and only narrowed his eyes. Hercule stopped after a moment, taking a step back, swallowing his obvious fear. Cell said something quietly to Hercule, something that Rowan didn't manage to hear, but the effect it had on Hercule was astounding. His face twisted into true surprise, right before Cell lunged, backhanding Hercule, launching him from the arena and into a cliff face a few hundred feet away.

Cell chuckled and folded his arms again, closing his eyes. Rowan looked towards the cliff where Hercule had landed, silently relieved as he sat up in the pile of rocks and dust, clutching his face with tears in his eyes.

Rowan stared back up at her lover with admiration, thankful that he had been controlled enough to kill Hercule.

"Excuse me, Miss…" Rowan turned around, startled as the reporter and his cameraman approached her from the outside of the arena. She blinked a few times at the pair. The reporter was a middle aged, small and greasy looking man in a slick black suit with a small wire like moustache and gelled back hair. The reporter was much more casually dressed, and looked a little younger with his backwards baseball cap. He had his face against the lens of the camera, which was focused on her.

"Um, hello." She said nervously, staring at the camera.

"Miss, can I ask who are you? Why were you standing in the arena with Cell? Are you on his side? What are you doing here?" Rowan grimaced at the bombardment of question and cowered back a few steps.

"Um… My name is Rowan…" She said hesitantly. " Uh… You're kind of making me nervous." She took a few more steps back as they continued to approach.

"Rowan, please, why were you in the arena with Cell?"

"Uhhh…"

"Did you plan to fight him, or fight alongside him?"

"Ummm…"

"Can you give us any insight as to why Cell is doing this, please?" Rowan grit her teeth, afraid of the camera and suddenly vanished, re-appearing besides Cell in the middle of the arena. She heard the media men exclaim loudly as the realized where she had gone to.

"Amazing! Did you get that on camera?!" The reporter asked. The camera man nodded and continued to record.

"I don't know how you can love being the centre of attention Cell. That scares the absolute crap out of me." Rowan said quietly. Cell chuckled, and opened his eyes slightly, watching her.

"You do realize the irony of what you are doing right now?" He asked quietly. Rowan looked at him for a moment before she broke into a grin.

"I'm cowering behind the evil tyrant who's threatening to destroy the Earth, because I find you less terrifying than a camera?" Cell chuckled, closing his eyes again.

"15 more minutes. The Z warriors should be arriving soon." Rowan nodded her understanding.

"Have you decided if you want to face Goku at an equal power level?" Cell frowned slightly.

"I'll let you know when he arrives." Rowan nodded and just for the hell of it, she mimicked Cell's pose, folding her arms across her chest and lowering her head slightly, closing her eyes.

"So… What did you say to Hercule before you hit him?" She asked him, curiously.

"I told him that I don't take kindly to people disrespecting my wife." Cell replied casually.

"…Wife?" Rowan unfolded her arms and absently twisted the ring that was still on her finger. She had almost forgotten about it. Cell opened his eyes for a moment, watching her with a small smile.

"What would you prefer? Mate? Wife? Partner?" Rowan felt her face flush as she thought about it.

"I don't really have a preference. You can call me whatever you like. I'm just surprised you openly admitted it to someone else." Cell chuckled.

"I am not ashamed of you Rowan. I merely do not wish for you to become the object of other people's misguided vengeance and the like."

"Oh." They fell back into an awkward silence again as Cell closed his eyes. Rowan stared around for a moment, aware that the camera was focused on them again, before she imitated Cells' pose again, folding her arms across her chest.

"So does this pose actually do anything specific for you, or is it just intimidating?" She asked quietly.

"It's a meditative pose. It allows me to cast my senses wide so I can get a feel for the people around me. Like right now for example, I can sense some of the Z warriors approaching from the left."

"I wish I could sense energy like you." Rowan said, annoyed after a few moments. She had been trying to 'detect' energy but she just didn't know how to do it. Cell chuckled and lifted his head as Vegeta suddenly blasted over the top of a cliff, landing on the outside of the arena. He glared at Cell, who stared back for a few moments.

"I don't recognise that man." Rowan said quietly.

"That, is Vegeta. The last time we battled, was just after I obtained perfection. He was quite the weakling then. I do hope he had improved since then." Cell said, loud enough for Vegeta to hear. Vegetas' snarl was quite savage and Rowan frowned. She didn't get a good feeling from him.

Cell suddenly turned his attention to the back of the arena, unfolding his arms as android 16 lowered himself to the ground.

"16!" Rowan said happily and gave him a wave. 16 lifted his hand in a greeting, but scowled at Cell.

"Bulma and her father, did quite a good job on you." Cell said casually with a smirk. 16 narrowed his eyes and looked up. Cell followed his gaze, suddenly laughing like a child on Christmas as the rest of the Z warriors, auras burning brilliantly, flew over a cliff face, landing on the side of the arena.

Goku, Gohan, Tien, Piccolo, Yamcha, Trunks and Krillin, all dressed in their fighting gis or armour, grim faced and staring at Cell.

"Welcome, everyone!" Cell announced with a broad smirk. Cell locked his gaze with Goku. Goku glanced at Rowan, and then back at Cell before he slowly stepped up into the arena.

"Do you mind if I go first?" Goku asked with a smile.

"Not at all, but I have a request of you, Goku, before we begin." Cell said in a polite voice, which oozed smugness.

"Oh, and what's that?" Cell grinned, narrowing his eyes.

"I'd like you to power up to full for a moment." Goku hesitated, looking at Rowan who was standing just behind and to the side of Cell smiling at him.

"Um, why?"

"I'd like our fight to be a fair one. I'm going to match your power level, but first I need to know just how strong you are." Cell was keeping his voice quiet, so just Goku could hear him. Goku grinned suddenly.

"Alright!" He spread his legs, slipping into a powerful stance, as a brilliant golden aura burst to life around him. Rubble and rocks from around the outside of the arena began to rise off of the ground as he roared, channelling his power.

"Yes, Goku, that is magnificent power." Cell declared, chuckling. Goku continued to roar, the arena trembling under the wake of his power. Rowan stared, amazed. She looked at Cell, saw the absolute excitement on his face and knew how desperately he wanted this moment, how desperately he wanted to fight Goku.

"How's that?!" Goku asked, his aura flaring around him as he stood back upright, crackling with golden power. Cell laughed.

"Very impressive! You are far stronger than I anticipated. This will be a glorious battle indeed." Cell turned to face Rowan and gave her a small nod.

She was aware that everyone at the tournament, and everyone in the world, was currently watching her, as Cell offered her his hand. She took it and took a deep breath.

"Ready." She declared. Cell grinned, as his energy began to flood into her body rapidly. Rowan grit her teeth, bracing as she took everything he gave her, saturating her body. Within seconds it was too much as he continued to pour his power into her. Her hair began to rise upwards as the power radiated out from her, golden and crackling with the blue discharge.

She heard their gasps, but she ignored them, focusing her attention entirely on Cell's power as it coursed into her. She reached her capacity and opened herself up, exploding outwards and up in an immense column of golden power that shot up into the sky. The entire Earth trembled and she focused harder, forcing more of the power up. The shaking eased and stopped as the column grew brighter.

Still he fed her power, and she was amazed at just how much he had. He barely looked as if he was exerting himself at all. She probed the connection between them, and she could see just how much power he had inside. He hadn't vented even close to half of it yet.

Quite abruptly, he stopped, letting go of her hand. Instantly the column vanished and her hair fell around her head, her hair tie incinerated. She grinned and shook herself.

"Phew, that was fun." She declared. Cell chuckled and tilted his head to the side.

"Thank you, dear. You can go now." He said with a grin. Rowan nodded and smiled at him as she turned and headed to the edge of the arena. She waved at Goku as she walked past him, stunned look on his face as he glowed golden.

"Good luck Goku!" She declared, jumping off of the arena, not too far from where the others stood, staring dumb founded at her. She tried to ignore them, but she felt the colour rise to her cheeks as she brushed her hair over her shoulder.

16 approached her, taking up a position beside her as he watched Goku and Cell.

"Rowan, what just happened?" He asked quietly.

"I convinced Cell that he should let me vent off some of his power before he fights Goku so it would be a fairer fight."

"That… Is actually a very good idea." 16 said hesitantly, but with a smile. Rowan folded her arms and nodded.

"Yep." She frowned to herself, knowing that although he had sacrificed a huge amount of power, he hadn't vented anywhere near enough to lower himself down to Gokus' level. It would still be an unfair fight. Just not as much so.

"Woman!" Rowan turned to look at the spikey haired man known as Vegeta as he stormed angrily towards her, fist raised, veins on his temple throbbing painfully.

"Um, hello." She said with a nervous smile. "I don't think we've been introduced. I'm Rowan."

"Screw the formalities! I demand you tell me what you just did!" He roared angrily. Rowans' face fell into a frown and she furrowed her brow.

"You have quite the nasty temper." She pointed out. Vegeta roared angrily.

"Quit stalling and tell me!" 16 frowned down at Vegeta. Rowan was aware that the others were watching them as well.

"I took some of Cells' energy, and vented it off so that he could fight Goku on equal footing." She explained angrily. "It's really not that hard to understand."

"You infuriating creature!" Rowans' eyes widened and she glanced at Cell, but he was engrossed in conversation with Goku.

"That's the second time I've been called that today." She said conversationally. She was pressing all of Vegeta's buttons, and he was losing his temper.

"Damn you woman!" Rowan glared at him angrily.

"I don't know what you're getting so pissy for. I did you a favour. Cell has less power now."

"You gave him the power in the first place, because you couldn't keep your damned legs shut!" Vegeta snarled angrily.

Rowan snapped at that, and she moved with astonishing speed, slapping Vegeta hard in the cheek. It made him stumble back a step. He roared again, his hair turning white-gold as his aura flared around him. He charged her with his fist, but was suddenly sent flying as blue blur shot into him like a bullet.

It took Rowan a second to realize it was Serin, snarling angrily as he landed in front of Rowan, slipping into a battle pose.

"What?!" Vegeta leapt back to his feet, glaring at the little blue Cell. Everyone stared at the little blue Cell in stunned amazement.

"Serin!" Rowan exclaimed, kneeling down to hug him. His face went from serious to happy in a heartbeat and he let her pick him up, holding him in her arms.

"What the hell is that thing?!" Piccolo asked angrily. Rowan glared at him.

"This is Serin. He's our son." She said, secretly delighting in the shocked faces that stared, stunned at her.

"Rowan!" Rowan looked over at Cell who was glaring angrily at her. "If you don't mind, I'd like to fight Goku. Perhaps you and Vegeta could save your skirmish until after wards?" Cell said bitterly. He was controlling his voice greatly, but Rowan could hear the venom in it and she sighed and nodded.

"Sorry."

16 looked just as surprised as the others.

"I did not know you had a child. He looks to be around 6 years old, and yet you have only known Cell for four." Rowan was still holding Serin who was watching the Z warriors closely.

"Actually he's only a few hours old. Apparently Cell can reproduce A-Sexually." 16 stared at Serin closely and frowned.

"I see." Vegeta was still glowing golden, glaring angrily at Rowan and Serin, but he didn't attack. Rowan watched him for a moment and frowned.

"I think we should go somewhere a little safer." Serin said in his child-like voice. Rowan nodded and looked up at 16 as she offered him one of her hands. 16 took it hesitantly, as Rowan threw her energy around them, disappearing.

They re-appeared on top of a cliff overlooking the arena, away from the Z warriors. 16 looked down at the arena as Cell began to power up. His energy flared brilliant and golden, like Gokus', crackling with energy. She could feel its potency, even from up here, and she narrowed her eyes as he roared, unleashing his power.

But as he stood up, declaring he was ready to fight Goku, Rowan narrowed her eyes. The others' wouldn't be able to tell yet, but she had seen the full extent of his power, and she knew that he hadn't given her anywhere near enough to bring his level down to Gokus'. He was holding back a lot of power right now, and he was still going to hold all the cards by the end of this fight.

Cell laughed as his aura sizzled the air around him, burning the same brilliant gold as Gokus'. Goku was smiling, just as eager for this fight as Cell.

"Well Goku, let the _Cell Games_ , begin."

 **Thank you so much everyone for taking the time to read this. I hope you are enjoying the story as much as I am enjoying writing it.**

 **Much love to all of you for the support you've shown!**


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